Overcoming A Dark Past
by SerenityVerdant
Summary: Kagome comes from a very dark past, making her feel that the world is untrustworthy. She gets a surprising reality check when High School Hottie, Sesshomaru comes along to help her. What happens when she realizes she is not the only one with a dark past? I AM CURRENTLY ON BREAK! PERSONAL PROBLEMS! WILL RESUME WHEN I CAN
1. First Contact

Chapter One: First Contact

A normal day for any High School student is supposed to start with a well balanced breakfast, a shower, some clean clothes, and a quick brush of the teeth, all after a good nights sleep. Unfortunately, this doesn't happen for everyone. Kagome Higurashi was eighteen years old and just barely entering her Junior year in High School. Known as the delinquent of her School District, she is constantly insulted, bullied, and humiliated by her classmates. It has been like this for six months now, and it was not showing any signs of stopping any time soon.

Due to the constant torture at her old school, her teachers practically begged their bosses to have her transferred. They couldn't handle the stress of having to deal with it anymore, and none of them understood why Kagome was the way she was. Distant, cold, and evil are what some would describe her personality as. She trusted no one, cared for no one, and seemed to hate all of humanity. Those who watched the torture she was going through understood immediately why she was the way she was, but because of their own reputations, people either joined in on the 'fun' or just avoided her completely.

Finally agreeing to the transfer that the teachers and some students had been begging for, the principle of her school had her placed on the completely opposite side of town, away from everyone who lived in the area. Obviously she was forced to move there as well, but because of her lack of a good paying job and car, she was forced to live within one of the worst neighborhoods known to Tokyo Japan. Filled with thugs, gangs, drug dealers, junkies, and prostitutes, she was obviously very uncomfortable, but had no other choice. So now that she was living in a horrible place away from everything that had tortured her for the past few years, it had finally come to her first day of school.

"All right class, listen up. We have a new student joining us today..." Mrs. Yasuragi, a busty dark haired woman with curves in 'all the right places' stepped up to the desk in front of the class. Behind her came Kagome, a young healthy looking woman, at least in body. Kagome stopped in front of the class with a small black book bag in hand. The classes reactions were to be expected. They all stared, some looking horrified while others just looked confused. A nice figure complimented by the preppy black and white school uniform was absolutely wrecked by the beastly look in her eyes, unruly hair, and acne filled skin. It didn't take long for them to realize that she did not care about her looks at all.

"Well say hi, Kagome." Mrs. Yasuragi looked to her and smiled politely, but only got an intense stare in return. Kagome didn't say anything back and that made the teacher raise an eyebrow, "Okay... Well where would you like to sit?" One again Kagome said absolutely nothing in return. She just stared at the teacher, waiting to be told what to do. "Okay... Why don't you just take a seat next to Sango. Sango, raise your hand."

Kagome looked out to the class and saw a young woman with black hair and a ponytail raising her hand, showing her where to sit. Kagome stepped over to her seat and sat down, all the other teenagers in the class watching her every move like a predator stalking prey. Already whispering back and forth to each other, some of the girls giggled, laughing at Kagome's outer appearance.

"All right... Well class, open your books to page one hundred thirty-three." Mrs. Yasuragi gave Kagome a concerned glance and then picked up her book, moving the class along with their day. Kagome kept to herself like she usually did, making eye contact with absolutely no one and avoiding talking to anyone, even if they tried talking to her. The girl named Sango had tried to be friendly and greet her, but all she did was stare at her for a moment and then look back to her book to write down more notes.

The beginning of school passed rather quickly and then it was lunch. She brought nothing, no bagged lunch and no money. To avoid the crowds down in the cafeteria, she soon found her way to the roof. Walking over to the edge, she looked around at everyone in the courtyard. It did seem to be a rather nice school, but she still didn't trust anyone. She looked around for anyone she might recognize from her classes, but she had not paid enough attention to recognize them if she wanted to. She sighed and sat down on the floor, leaning her back against the two foot wall that was supposed to prevent students from playing around on the edge of the roof. She closed her eyes and placed a hand on her stomach when it suddenly growled and began to hurt.

"Hungry?" A sweet voice spoke to her. Someone had snuck up on her while she was resting. Her eyes snapped open to see someone rather close to her face. A young girl, Sango was her name. It had startled Kagome and out of reflex, she pushed the girl away.

"Hey, watch it!" another said and she looked to see a young man. This one was also in her class. He was flirting with multiple women and seemed to have some sort of immunity to slaps. "You didn't have to push her you know!"

"It's okay, Miroku..." Sango said, dusting the back of her skirt off, "I shouldn't have gotten in her face like that."

"What's going on?" a low stoic voice came into play as two silver haired men and another long haired woman stepped onto the roof.

"Ah, aren't you the new girl?" The girl said, smiling and holding out her hand to greet her. Kagome glanced down to the girls hand and then back up to her, eyes slightly wide as if she questioned the motive of the greeting. "Well... I'm Kikyo, this is Inuyasha and his older brother Sesshomaru." she pulled her hand back and introduced the two, trying to salvage the already awkward situation. Once again Kagome did not speak, instead just stepped back from them keeping her guard up.

"What's wrong with you?" Inuyasha stared at Kagome as if she wasn't human. After not getting an answer, he stepped forwards towards her. Kagome was about five foot four, Inuyasha was exactly six foot and rather well built, so to her he seemed intimidating. She stepped back even more, bumping into the short wall behind her.

"Hey! Be careful!" Sango reached out to grab her, thinking she might fall, but Kagome jerked her arm back and glanced rapidly back and forth between all of them. "I'm.. not going to hurt you." Sango tried to reassure her, but Kagome just moved back even more, creating about a ten foot distance between them.

"Why are you so scared of us?" Miroku asked, but didn't get an answer. Kagome kept herself on alert. She seemed as if she were ready for battle if need be. It only made them feel extremely uncomfortable. They looked back and forth to each other with concerned looks. All but Sesshomaru seemed to be bothered by this, but of course, he was the only one keeping himself back. He stood behind them all, his hands within his pockets while leaning up against the wall.

"Why are you bothering yourself with that girl?" An uptight, conceited sounding voice echoed harshly through the ears of those on the roof. Kagura had decided to show up to bug them like usual. She looked to Sesshomaru, giving a sweet and flirtatious smile before looking back to Kagome. "Kagome Higurashi is known as the Whore of Wakatake High School."

"What?" Inuyasha crossed his arms in disbelief as he looked at Kagome. She looked like anything but a whore. His thought on a whore would be a girl with extra large breasts, too much make-up, and a well taken care of appearance. Kagome was the exact opposite, so how could she be known as a whore?

"It's true." Kagura said. Everyone looked to her waiting for one of the explanations that she was well known for giving. Kagura was the queen of gossip at Shugotenshi High School, and what made it worse is that she was NEVER wrong. "Apparently she's gone all the way with multiple men, including those within her own family. She's an incestuous slut that no one can handle. Her teachers and even some of the students at her old school had to beg for her to get transferred out because no one felt comfortable enough to even sit next to her in class. The rumors are that she's had two abortions, and one of them because of her own father."

"You... can't be serious." Kikyo and everyone else, except for Sesshomaru, looked to Kagome in shock and in disgust. Could she really be what Kagura had said?

"I am serious." Kagura laughed a bit a pointed towards Kagome, "If her name is Kagome Higurashi, which we all know it is, you can practically ask anyone within the town about her and they will tell. All she does is sleep around and stay out late. She's obviously not arguing with what I am saying, so she more than likely knows that there is no point in trying to lie."

"Kagome... Is what she said true?" Sango asked and they all looked towards her. She had not changed her demeanor what-so-ever. She still looked at them all like they were her enemy and as if she was ready to fight if the need arose. She didn't speak. She just glanced back and forth between them all trying to look like she was tough, which actually seemed to work. Kikyo and Sango turned away with looked of disappointment on their faces. Miroku followed them off of the roof with Inuyasha. They didn't feel like they should be seen with her anymore.

"Sesshomaru, you comin'?" Kagura asked Sesshomaru as she began to follow them all out.

"In a minute." was all he said and Kagura narrowed her eyes. She looked back towards Kagome who seemed to calm slightly since she was no longer close to anyone. "Kagura." Sesshomaru said in a more serious tone, "I'll be there in a minute."

Kagura jumped slightly at his tone and then nodded, continuing down the stairway after everyone else. Sesshomaru on the other hand didn't leave his spot. He brought his hands from his pockets and crossed his arms around his chest. For a few seconds, the two of them had a very hard to judge staring contest. Kagome watched as he looked her up and down, observing her movements. He took note of a few things about her and then stood up straight. He put his hand in his pocket and walked over towards the wall, staying a few feet away from her. Pulling out his wallet and then a bit of money, he set it down on the wall and turned away.

"Stop starving yourself. Use it." was all he said and then he left her to stand there rather confused. She glanced back and for from the doorway he just left through and to the money. She decided to quickly grab it, knowing that at any moment a breeze could blow it away. She counted it up and her eyes widened. He had given her twenty five dollars, but why? ( Yes. I'm going to use American money, because I have no clue about Japanese money. I'm sorry about that, but it's what I know. )

She slipped the money into her pocket and looked out over the edge of the roof, down towards the courtyard where people were still eating. She placed a hand on her stomach and winced as she felt a small amount of pain hit. She took in a deep breath to try and calm it, but that didn't work to well. She froze, tensing up until the pain went away. Once it did, she stood up straight and turned to leave the roof. She walked down the stairs and began to head out to the courtyard, but stopped when the bell rang. It was too late. She sighed and began to head back to class.

The rest of the day went smoothly. She wasn't really bugged by anyone, but still had to deal with the staring, and the tension in the air seemed to have thickened since Kagura had blurted out what they had called her at her previous school. The 'Whore of Wakatake High School' was not a title she was proud of, but she had learned to live with it. People were cruel, never actually asking about what was going on, but instead treating her like she was trash because of the things they heard. Only two people knew the truth about what had happened. The first person being her, and the other being dead.

The final bell rang and everyone jumped out of their seats to go home. Everyone except for Kagome that is. She sat still, staring down at the surface of her desk. Her body appeared frozen like a statue. People whispered to each other as they left class, glancing to her and then laughing. She was used to this sort of behavior and treatment. She didn't know what to do about it anymore, so she allowed it.

"Kagome?" Mrs. Yasuragi came over to her and set a hand on her shoulder. Startled, she jumped backwards and ended up tipping her chair. Falling back, she hit her head on another desk and fell to the floor in a fetal position as the pain hit. The remaining students burst out into laughter at her reaction to the teacher and walked out, talking about it like it was some comedy on TV. This actually made Mrs. Yasuragi feel awkward and she just stepped back. Noticing this, Sango felt a bit of pity for Kagome and stepped over to her, offering a hand. Miroku and Kikyo watched to see how Kagome would react.

"You... can take it." Sango said and Kagome glanced up to her with one eye open since the other was closed because of the pain. She glanced back and forth from Sango's eyes to her hand and then pulled away. She didn't take her hand and Sango sighed. She kneeled down next to her and smiled, "Why are you so scared of everyone? Is it because they make fun of you?"

Sesshomaru and Inuyasha stepped into the classroom at this moment. Kagome's attention was immediately averted to Sesshomaru, narrowing her eyes in confusion about him. She didn't understand his actions on the roof. Sango cleared her throat and Kagome turned back towards her. Kagome pushed herself to her feet and froze when she saw a red liquid drop to the floor. She reached up to her head and touched the spot that had hit. When she looked at her hand, everyone got slightly concerned when they saw that it was covered in a bit of blood.

"EW!" a young girl had stepped into the room and saw it. She freaked out and everyone turned towards her as she looked at Kagome, "Stay away from her! She'll give you some kind of STD!" Sango gasped and took this threat seriously. They all stepped away from her, horrified at the idea of getting something like that. Kagome lowered her head, seeming ashamed of herself and then ran out, her bangs covering her eyes. She ran passed the girl who screamed, causing her to freak out and jump back. Kagome ignored this and continued to run until she got to the girls locker room. She peeked inside and luckily it was empty. She walked over to a sink and washed the blood out of her hair, taking some paper towels to put pressure on the wound.

After about ten minutes, the blood seemed to stop. The wound was deeper than she had thought, and probably should have gone to the hospital, but refused. Checking for blood a few more times, she sighed in relief when it had officially stopped. She left the locker room and began heading to the front of the school. By this time, everyone was gone. The school had practically been emptied out, except for those practicing sports or going about club activities. She headed towards the main gate and kept her head lowered. She wasn't paying attention to where she was walking and suddenly bumped into something.

"Problem?" someone said. She recognized the voice and then jumped back. It was Sesshomaru again. Did he wait up for her or something? He was dressed in a jersey and she could instantly tell that he was a member of the soccer team. She stared up at him. He was much taller than Inuyasha and was also well built. Hitting about six foot four, he scared her even more. She kept stepping back and looking around for something. He did not know what.

"You haven't eaten." Sesshomaru said and she snapped her gaze back towards him. How was he able to tell she still had not eaten? How could he tell that she was practically starving herself? He was sort of creepy to her. She took in a deep breath and brought up the courage to step passed him. He just watched her. He did not move, knowing that it would frighten her more. She stepped by him and then began to run, leaving the gates of the school. She ran down the street and began on her way home. Sesshomaru watched her until she turned a corner and she was no longer in sight.

"Why are you so interested in that girl?" Kagura appeared out of no where and asked him. She crossed her arms along her chest and leaned up against the school's gate. "She's nothing but a disgusting slut who has no problem having sex with her own Dad. Why would you be interested in something like that?"

"Kagura." Sesshomaru closed his eyes and turned towards her. When he opened them, he sent an intense glare her way, filled with anger and disgust in it's own, "You know nothing about that girl. Rumors mean nothing. Until you have asked her yourself, I will not stand for any insults you or anyone else has towards her. Do I make myself clear?"

"What the hell?" Kagura flinched and stepped back, "Why do you even care?"

"Because unlike you..." Sesshomaru picked up his sports bag and held it over his shoulder, "I actually know..." With that he left the school, heading to his own home.

**END OF CHAPTER**

**READ EVERYTHING BELOW!**

**ALL RIGHT! I hope you guys enjoyed this! I'm kind of trying something new. I will warn that in the future it will get much darker and a lot more intense than this. So, if you are someone who doesn't enjoy such stories, or maybe can relate a bit too closely with them and don't feel comfortable with it, please do not read this, okay? I do not want to offend anyone!**

**Remember to review! I don't continue a story without getting reviews. And please try to make it a more detailed review... I am constantly getting these 'please update soon' reviews, along with 'I like this story' or things along that line. PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU ACTUALLY LIKE ABOUT MY STORIES! Don't be a boring reviewer. Give some criticism! Maybe some ideas you might like to see in the story? Or tell me what you think about the current plot! People say they like my story, but I never know which part really appealed to them!**


	2. A Silent Cry

Chapter Two: A Silent Cry

Two weeks had passed since she had first come to Shugotenshi High School. It was much calmer than her other school so far, and she didn't have to deal with as much of the abuse as she had before. Tension was pretty high between the students, but most of them kept quiet. Of course there were a few, like Kagura and her friends Naraku and Bankotsu, who were a continuous bother, but they were easy enough to ignore. It was mainly just being laughed at, whispering behind backs, and the occasional glare. This was a piece of cake compared to her life before.

The lunch bell rang and everyone stood from their seats. Kagome, who was just as isolated as she was when she first arrived, never smiled. She didn't smile, she didn't laugh, and most assumed she was mute because she didn't talk. When called on in class to answer a question, most kids would feel the pressure and speak out, whether they knew the answer or not, but Kagome was different. Mrs. Yasuragi had called on her three times in the last two weeks, but the only response she got was a stare. If Mrs. Yasuragi continued trying to get her to speak, Kagome would shift her expression into an extremely angry and infuriated glare. That was enough to have her move on.

As usual, Kagome took her lunch time to the roof. She had no money, and the amount that Sesshomaru had so generously given her before had only lasted for two days. She didn't just use it for her lunch at school, but desperately needed some food at home as well. She had not gotten her check from her job yet, so she was running on dry. She was broke. There was a small shop owned by an old woman who would be nice enough to give away a couple apples and oranges, but that wasn't good enough. She was grateful for it, but her body needed nutrients and fruit definitely did not offer all of the ones that she needed.

She sat down on the roof in the far corner behind a large generator. This was her spot. There was a group of friends, including Sesshomaru and his group that constantly came up here for lunch, but they never went over there. This is the place she felt safe. She heard the door open and the chattering of teenagers. It wasn't Sesshomaru's group this time. In fact, she didn't really recognize who it was at first. She peeked around the corner of the generator and her eyes widened. It was Naraku and Bankotsu. Kagura was home sick, so they probably came up here to find a new place to have lunch. Kagome backed herself back into the corner even further and sighed. She winced when she felt herself sitting on something sharp and moved. Her foot accidentally kicked the chain-link fence that was surrounding the generator and she froze.

"What the hell?" Bankotsu looked over to the generator and raised an eyebrow. Naraku walked over and peeked around it, but saw nothing. He shook his head and shrugged going back to continue his conversation with Bankotsu. "So, what are you wanting to do about it?"

"I don't know... It's getting so fucking annoying though." Naraku said, sounding rather irritating, "I am sick of the damn nagging and shit."

"Why are you even with her then? You only end up miserable." Bankotsu asked.

"I don't fucking know. We break up all the damn time because she flirts with that bastard Sesshomaru, but then we get back together. She says she loves me, and then does the shit again." Naraku slammed his fist into the roofs door.

"You should just dump the bitch. You can get better than that shit." Bankotsu said, "I mean come on, you've got girls at this school pretty much throwing themselves at your feet. Fuck Kagura. Get with a bitch that actually matters."

"Dude, I love the girl, and she does matter to me!" Naraku shoved Bankotsu slightly, "So don't fucking say she doesn't. That's still my chick, got it?"

"Okay, okay! Damn man..." Bankotsu caught himself before he fell and then raised his hands like he didn't want to fight, "I'm just saying.. I bet if you got with another girl for a while, she'd realize what she had and that she really fucked up."

"Yeah... Maybe."

"Nah, man! She would. Get it on with someone you know she hates, which is... like every female at this school, and she'll either back off of you for good. And if she does that, it means she isn't worth your time, OR she will come crawling back saying I'm sorry and she'll actually try to change." Bankotsu explained to him. Naraku thought about it for a minute and then nodded.

"Okay, yeah you're right, but what chick?"

"I don't know. Which one does sh-" Kagome had been listening in on all of this, but of course her foot slipped. She had squeezed into a very tight area and ended up kicking the gate again. This time it was much louder. Naraku quickly ran over, not giving her time to hide and grabbed her by her ankle since that was all he could see.

"What the fuck man? Who is it?" Bankotsu asked as Naraku tried pulling her out. Naraku's eyes widened when he saw who it was and then roughly jerked her out of the corner.

"It's that bitch Kagome." Naraku narrowed his eyes at her, "What the fuck? You sitting there listening to everything we're saying? You know, a polite person would have made themselves known."

"Aha! Maybe you should get with her!" Bankotsu was obviously joking, but Naraku looked at him as if he had taken it seriously.

"Are you insane? No one in the right mind would get with a disease driven slut."

"Ah, man. That was kind of harsh." Bankotsu said. Kagome pulled her leg back from him and tried going back into the corner, but Naraku pulled her right back to him.

"Where the fuck do you think you're going?" Naraku said as he grabbed her shoulder and pulled her to her feet. She began to struggle, kicking harshly at him, but unfortunately missing them all. Naraku turned her around and pushed her up against the gate the surrounded the generator. Kagome began crying, but made absolutely no noise. She tried pushing back against him, but he just pressed her harder against it, "Now listen here bitch..."

Sesshomaru was sitting on the bench away from the lunch area. He was slightly out of breath and sweaty from running laps around the field. He picked up a bottle of water put, it to his lips, and tilted his head back while drinking. He then poured a little bit on the back of his hair, allowing it to cool down his head. Out of the corner of his eye, the school building seemed to catch his attention. He couldn't see anything, but for some reason he kept watching. After a few moments he stood up. Setting his water bottle down on the bench, he walked off and left the field.

He entered the main building, many of the guy obsessed girls pointing out the fact that he was all wet and had just been practicing. Ignoring the random comments from them, no matter how flattering some of them may have been, he went up the stairs until he got to the roof. Opening the door slowly, he looked to see Bankotsu and Naraku pinning some girl up against the wall. He watched for a moment, seeing that the girl had not said anything and then saw who it was. Suddenly he became more interested and stepped forward while listening to Naraku say 'Now listen here bitch'.

"Get off." was all he said, startling both of them.

"Sesshomaru, what the fuck are you doing here? Can't you see I'm busy!" Naraku said and Sesshomaru did not give another warning. He stepped forward and in a swift jab, knocked Naraku back away from Kagome. Naraku jumped to his feet, only to have a round house kick come straight for the side of his head, sending him flying a few feet away. Bankotsu went to sucker punch Sesshomaru, but he easily dodged by moving backwards. He brought his knee up quickly and slammed it into Bankotsu's stomach hard enough to make him lose his breath.

"Now go." Sesshomaru said in a demanding manner, his eyes piercing through both of them. Naraku and Bankotsu stood up and ran off the roof. Sesshomaru looked back towards Kagome to see if any damage had been done, but she hadn't moved. She was clinging for dear life onto the chain link gate that they had pinned her up against. At first he wasn't concerned, but when she still did not move even after a few seconds, he stepped over to her.

His eyes widened slightly. Her face was pale, she was sweating, she had a new cut on her cheek, and her eyes had gone blank. Cautiously, he reached out and set a hand on her shoulder. Her head very slowly looked towards him. Suddenly she snapped back into reality and jumped back, trying to hit him, but she lost her footing and collapsed. He stepped over to her and she tried to sit up to get away, but she couldn't move very well. He knelt down, and watched as her breathing became heavy. This wasn't just out of fear of him being near her, but also out of exhaustion and starvation.

"I will not hurt you." Sesshomaru said and he swooped his arms under her. Her dull eyes widened and she began to struggled against him, but she was too weak for it to have any effect. "Calm down now. You will only hurt yourself more." Kagome couldn't calm down. She stopped moving, but her heart had begun to speed up. Her breathing became irregular and within two seconds her body went limp in his arms. She had fainted. In a hurry, Sesshomaru quickly moved down the stairs and power walked through the hallways. People obviously stared, but he wasn't one to care.

"Sesshomaru, what are you doing?" Inuyasha came up to him, power walking along with him where ever he were to go. Sesshomaru said nothing, but instead motioned his head down towards Kagome. Inuyasha took a good look at the girl and then blinked in shock, "What the hell happened to her?" As if on cue, at that moment, they turned a corner and Naraku and Bankotsu were both standing there. The two of them looked to him and then to Kagome, wondering if what had happened to her was their fault. A look of fear came on their faces when thinking about the trouble that they could get in.

"Nurse." Sesshomaru opened the door and stepped into the nurses office, setting Kagome down onto the closest available bed, "Her name is Kagome Higurashi, she has apparently been starving herself, for what reason I do not know. She's exhausted, and I believe has a fear of physical contact."

"Well you seem to know her quite well." The nurse smiled and walked over to Kagome.

"I know right?" Inuyasha looked at his brother as if his brother was some sort of insane stalker and then looked back to Kagome, "What happened to her?"

"I do not know. She just fainted." Sesshomaru explained rather blatantly.

"This poor girl has been through hell..." the nurse sighed as she examined Kagome.

"What do you mean?" Inuyasha asked, both he and his brother slightly intrigued by the statement.

"Look... It isn't my place to say anything, but she's not what all the students have been calling her. I am sick of hearing all the insults when they honestly know nothing about it..." the nurse said rather kindly with a look of sadness on her features, "I can't tell you anything, obviously, but please... don't let her be hurt and try to get to know her. There is a lot more to her than most know or understand."

"Uh... Okay?" Inuyasha raised an eyebrow and then waved, "I'm gonna get back to the girls, I'll see you later Sesshomaru." With Inuyasha gone, Sesshomaru just stared down at Kagome who still had not woken up. He walked over to a chair and sat down waiting for her to open her eyes. A small shine of light came from Kagome's face, and he looked to see that she had been crying a lot. Her face was absolute soaked with tears, but she had not even made a single sound.

"Interesting girl..." he mumbled under his breath and lowered his head.

About four hours later, Sesshomaru's eyes opened. It was slightly darker than before. School was out and he had missed the last of his classes, and all of practice. He raised his head, stretching his neck, but stopped when he felt someone watching him. He looked over to see Kagome standing five feet away, just staring at him. It was actually kind of creepy, but he pushed it off. He stood up and stepped towards her. She stepped back. He stepped towards her again, and once again she took a step back. He raised an eyebrow and then decided to have some fun, so he stepped forward twice, watching her step back twice as well. He did it again, she once again followed, but this time was stopped by the end of the room, which caused a look of utter fear to seep into her eyes. She seemed horrified.

"Why are you afraid of me?" Sesshomaru asked, but she did not answer. She kept still, staring at him with wide eyes, wondering what he was to do to her, "It has been two weeks since you came to this school, and you avoid everyone. You either refuse to or can't talk, and you never smile, laugh, or really show any emotion. What happened to you for you to become this way?" She said nothing, and it began to irritated him. He stepped forward faster than before and then stopped right in front of her. She pushed herself deeper into the wall, knowing that she could go no where. He didn't touch her. He just stared down at her, wondering what she would do if he got this close.

"The first time we met..." he said, catching her attention slightly, "You kept up a tough demeanor when there were more than just one or two people. You were up against multiple, yet then you were or at least seemed to be braver than you are now. Then today you are attacked by two men, yet you do not call for help, you cry and don't make a sound. After that, instead of just leaving me alone, you stay in this room with me while I slept. You certain are an interesting girl."

"What's going on?" Mrs. Yasuragi stepped in and Sesshomaru looked back to her. The teacher's eyes widened in horror when she saw the hunched over Kagome looking as if he were about to hurt her, "Mister Takahashi! WHAT are you doing to her? TO MY CLASSROOM NOW!" Mrs. Yasuragi pointed out the door and Sesshomaru looked back to Kagome, wondering if she would say anything, but apparently not. Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at her and sighed, walking out and going to Mrs. Yasuragi's classroom. The teacher apologized to Kagome and went with Sesshomaru. Kagome sneakily followed and stood outside the classroom, listening to everything that was said inside. Luckily, no one was still here, so she didn't have to worry about avoiding any of the other students.

"Sesshomaru I am deeply disappointed in you..." Kagome heard Mrs. Yasuragi say. Her eyes widened and she turned her ear towards the door to listen in more, "I have not ever seen you do something so horrible in my life. You had her backed into a corner! She was hunched over and obviously scared! Did you not think to back away? What were you planning on doing?"

"Nothing." was all Sesshomaru replied with.

"Did you think that since school was over, that you could hurt her?" Mrs. Yasuragi asked him.

"No." was the only reply.

"What then? Were you planning on taking advantage of the poor girl?"

"NO!" Sesshomaru shouted, shocking both Kagome and the teacher, "How dare you insinuate that I would ever do something so disgusting and dishonorable as to take advantage of that girl!"

"Then what were you doing? Why were the two of you in the room, alone, and her backed into the corner! What do you think that is going to make me think! The look on her face was shocking! WHY was she so scared?" Mrs. Yasuragi asked, but got no answer. She asked again, and once again he didn't reply, "That's it, I'm going to have to suspend you."

"WHA-" Sesshomaru was about to let out his anger, but Kagome opened the door. They both looked towards her and she was shaking her head back and forth.

"Kagome, are you okay?" the teacher asked and Kagome nodded.

"It wasn't his fault." Kagome said as if she was panicking, shocking both of them.

"You can speak?" Mrs. Yasuragi said, "I thought you were a mute."

"It wasn't his fault. He did nothing wrong." was all she said and then Mrs. Yasuragi smiled.

"Okay Kagome. Thank you." she smiled and looked to Sesshomaru, "I'm glad."

"For what?" Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at her.

"For whatever you must have done to get her to speak." Mrs. Yasuragi said and then stood up, "I doubt it's going to be a continuing thing, so I do think that she must think something good of you to come in here and defend you even when she is so frightened of most people."

"Hm..." Sesshomaru took what his teacher said into thought and then looked over to Kagome, who was currently stepping out of the way as Mrs. Yasuragi left the room. She had her head lowered for a moment, but then looked up to Sesshomaru. The two of them stared blankly at each other for a while and then Sesshomaru nodded to her.

"Thank you, Kagome." was all he said and then he began stepping out of the classroom. He stopped when he had a question come to mind, "You walk home, don't you? Aren't you afraid of doing that?"

Upon hearing his question, she froze. She raised her hand to her head and held it. Her eyes widened and she began to tremble. The words 'walk home' kept repeating in her mind. Sesshomaru turned to her and set a hand on her shoulder. As usual, she snapped back into reality and jerked her body away from him. He dropped his arm back down to his side and sighed, shaking his head at her fear and reaction towards him

"I can walk you home, as a thank you for preventing me from getting suspended." Kagome looked up to him in shock, not knowing what to say. The idea of walking home scared her beyond belief, and her fear of Sesshomaru was much less than that, but she also did not want anyone from the school to know where she lived. She stood straight and shook her head to him.

She didn't want him to walk her home. She stepped around him, cautiously moving towards the classroom door to leave. Sesshomaru watched her every movement, not moving anything but his head until she left. He could hear her foot steps increase as she went down the hallway. He looked out, just barely being able to see her running down towards the front door of the school.

"Hm..." he thought for a moment and then began walking in the same direction, deciding that it was a bit too late to be at school, and that there was something he should do.

**END OF CHAPTER!**

**Review please! Remember, try not to do those extremely boring reviews. Tell me what you like! Give me some ideas! Thank you!**


	3. Faith In My Savior

Chapter Three: Faith In My Savior

Kagome ran all the way to the front of the school. Stopping at the gate, she froze for a minute and looked back towards the front door. She saw Sesshomaru walking out of the school, his bag in one hand, while the other hand was in his pocket. He noticed that she was still standing there and halted himself. Had she changed her mind about allowing him to walk her home? No. At that moment, she stepped back and then ran off towards the right, leaving his sight and the school grounds. Sesshomaru sighed and continued on his way. He turned left, heading towards his home, but like before there was something off. He looked back towards where she was running off. It was like before, he felt like something was going to happen to her, but ignored it.

Kagome stopped running about a block away from the school. She stopped and leaned up against the wall of a small shop to catch her breath. She sat down on the sidewalk and tried to rest. Her stomach growled, much more pain hitting this time. She needed something to eat, she was starving, but there was nothing she could do. There was no more money, and no food at home. She took in a deep breath to calm down, but her stomach began hurting more. Forcing herself to her feet, she began walking down the street with her head lowered. She began to sweat again and felt really weak, so she ended up losing her balance and fell to the the floor.

Before she hit the ground, an arm wrapped around her waist. She didn't understand why, but she didn't fight or even look to see who it was. She had her own assumptions about it. After catching her breath, she looked back to who had grabbed her. Her eyes widened and immediately she tried to pull away, but her wrist was grabbed. It wasn't who she thought, and at that she didn't even know this person. He was a complete stranger. She tried pushing him away, but all he did was smile evilly and tightened his arm around her waist even more. She looked around to see if someone could help her, but of course she was in the less populated part of her neighborhood. No one was around.

"Now... what is a young girl doing in this part of town?" the man said, pulling her body into him. Adrenaline hit. She began kicking wildly, but his strength was beyond her own. She wasn't able to do anything to prevent him while he dragged her behind the shop. She dropped all of her stuff and tried her best to fight, but still could not. The sun was down and the alley was dark. As he got her into the alley, he pinned her up against the brick wall of the shop and held her there.

"What do you have there, Jin?" another voice came from the shadows and Kagome looked over to see another man walking over. They were both taller than her. Jin was a bit scrawny, which only added to her embarrassment when she was unable to fight him off.

"Just a young chick. Not the smartest idea to walk around this neighborhood at night, right Kai?" Jin said taking a single step back so he could look to the other man. Kagome took this chance to get away, but as if they had done this many times before, Jin easily grabbed her wrist and pulled her right back. Her back slammed into the wall behind her and she got a bit dizzy.

"Yeah, not the smartest idea." Kai agreed with Jin and then got closer. They stood on both sides of her while her back was up against the wall, "How come she doesn't yell?"

"I don't know. She hasn't said anything, or even made a fucking noise!" Jin got slightly annoyed and placed his hand against the wall beside her head, "Why don't you let out a little scream for me?" Kagome's eyes widened and she turned away. "Uh oh! Looks like she doesn't want to. What should we do about that Kai?"

"Hm..." Kai stepped forward and grabbed Kagome by the underline of her chin. She pulled away, but he just pushed the back of her head up against the wall. Kai stepped in more, his body now pressed completely up against hers. He lifted her up by her chin, which obviously hurt her. "She still isn't making any noise. Can the bitch even talk?"

"I don't know." Jin decided to test it and hit her in the stomach. Kagome's eyes widened and the wind was knocked out of her. The pain was enough to drop anyone. She tried catching her breath, but with his hand on her chin, she couldn't do anything. "She's starting to piss me off. Drop her."

"Sure." Kaii let her go. Her body fell to the floor, landing rather roughly and she was finally able to take in a breath. She dropped to the ground and took on a fetal position while holding her stomach.

"Damn... Still nothing." Jin kneeled down and grabbed her by her hair. He lifted her up and smacked her across the face. Not once, not twice, but about five different times. Her face was bruised and red, but still she did not say a single word or even groan in pain. Her silence was astonishing. "I don't get this bitch."

"Rather irritating, isn't it?" Kai turned and stepped away from her, "I am no longer interested in her, but you can do what you wish." He sat down away from the two in an old metal chair.

"Oh, so I can have this one?" Jin smirked and his eyes widened, making him look slightly insane. "We are gonna have some fun." Jin pulled her deeper into the alley, dragging her along by her hair. She kicked and reached back towards his hand to get him to let go, but his grip did not loosen. He tossed her onto an old mattress and Kagome tried backing away, but he moved to lay on top of her.

Struggling a bit, she was able to get a decent kick into his stomach, but all it did was anger him more. He smacked her across the side of her head, hitting her temple and causing her to become more dizzy. Blinking rapidly and rolling her head around, she tried to regain herself, but her vision remained blurry. She felt him moving around on top of her and looked to him. He was trying to remove her skirt after removing his own shirt. Tears formed in her eyes and dropped down her cheeks as she once again began to fight. Placing her hands against his chest, she attempted to push him off of her. He did not budge at all. She shook her head desperately trying to tell him no. She did not want this. He got sick of her moving and grabbed her by her throat, tightening his grip around her neck.

"Stop fucking moving!" Jin demanded her as he choked her. She set her hands on his wrists and looked up to him with a pleading look in her eyes, but this did not phase him. He continued to choke her until her eyes began rolling into the back of her head and her body went limp. Once it did, he let go of her neck and allowed her to breathe again. He watched, pleased by the way her chest was moving up and down to catch her breath. He grabbed onto her hands and placed them above her head. He wrapped his left hand around her wrist, easily being able to hold her there since she was so petite. He then began to pull down his own pants, but was stopped when someone put a hand on his shoulder.

"Jin. Get off of her." Kai had come over and stopped him, "We seem to have company." Jin looked up to him and then to the person he was looking at. Sesshomaru stood in the alley way, walking over to them with Kagome's bag in his hand. He had changed his mind and followed her. He would have missed this alley, but luckily he noticed her things laying there on the ground. "Who the hell are you?"

"Get off the girl." Sesshomaru stepped closer, his eyes on Jin. He tossed Kagome's things to the side and then looked to Kai since he would more than likely be the greater threat at the moment.

"And if he doesn't?" Kai asked. "What the hell is some kid going to do if he just continues?"

"Do you really want to test that outcome?" Sesshomaru stared at Kai intensely, his eyes reading nothing but a killer instinct. Kai narrowed his eyes as he saw this, wondering if he should continue taunting the man that stood in front of him. Sesshomaru gave no other warning. As fast as lightning, he sent a devastating upper cut to Kai's jaw. Kai was caught of guard and sent flying into the air. He landed a few feet back and Jin quickly jumped to his friends defense. Jin failed at a punching Sesshomaru in the head when he easily dodged by ducking under it.

Kagome took this moment to crawl away a couple feet and looked back to watch the fight. Jin was trying to hit Sesshomaru, but all of his attacks were dodged and blocked. Once Sesshomaru saw his chance, he blocked a punch from Jin by raising his own arm and pushing Jin's up. This left Jin's chest and stomach open and Sesshomaru sent five strong and damaging blows into Jin's chest. Jin had no way of blocking or dodging this. He was pushed back into a wall Sesshomaru pinned him there. He then changed his attack style and placed his left hand on Jin's neck and began punching him in the head over and over again. This frightened Kagome and she began to tremble. Blood from Jin's newly opened wounds was splashing all over the wall, ground, and even Sesshomaru.

"Disgusting waste of time bitch!" Sesshomaru said, his voice low and menacing as he laid a final blow into Jin's head. He took a step back, trying to control his anger and just watched as the man fell to the ground unconscious if not dead.

Kagome tried to stand, but lost her balance and fell back to the floor. She wanted to get away from this area. She was scared. She saw Sesshomaru turn towards her and began to panic. She looked at Jin and then to Kai who was knocked out after that single punch. She looked back to Sesshomaru and began to cry, afraid that he was going to hurt her as well. He stepped over to her and stopped about five feet away when she began backing away from him. He looked terrifying. He was covered in blood, especially his face and his fists. His eyes were still filled with disgust and anger, so that frightened her, although it was not towards her. He was disgusted by the fact that his lack of judgment when it came to walking her home had allowed this.

Sesshomaru took in a deep breath and let it out, trying to calm himself down. He closed his eyes for a moment and regained his composure. Once he opened them again, she was gone. He looked around and saw her crawling off, trying to stand so she could run. His left eye twitched at this. Irritation had taken over his mood and he stepped towards her, this time not holding back. He grabbed her arm and pushed her up against the wall. He was about to shout at her, but the look of utter fear in her eyes stopped him. She placed a hand on his chest and tried pushing away. This actually made him slightly pity her because she was so weak that he could barely even feel it. He loosened his grip on her arm and looked seriously at her.

"Look, I have not ever done anything to hurt a woman, and I will not be starting that now." He told her honestly, there being absolutely no lie or deceit in his eyes. Kagome could some how tell and then calmed down slightly, but was still afraid, "I do not know what happened to you to make you so frightened of everything. That is something you can tell me later on if you wish, but... You should try to find someone that you can put your faith in."

Kagome dropped her arms down by her side, the one he was holding preventing her from running away even though she wanted to. She didn't look as scared as she was before, but she set her hand on his wrist, trying to pull it off. When she could not, her eyes began to widen again as if she was becoming scared. He saw this and let go. When she felt him let go, she looked back up to him and stared for a moment. She didn't understand this man. He confused the hell out of her.

"I mean it when I say you should find at least one person to put your faith in." Sesshomaru told her, "Not everyone in this world is as horrible as these idiots right here." He took a step back, giving her the space she needed, "Now.. I am going to walk you home." He said it, showing her that she had no choice, "You may not want anyone to know where you live, but I'll be damned if some assholes every try that shit to you again." He looked away when explaining himself and then shifted his eyes back towards her, "Got it?"

Kagome as usual said nothing, but looked him straight in the eye. He had been nicer to her than most people, giving her money, protecting her from Naraku, staying with her in the nurses office, and then still had saved her from some thugs. Why was he so interested in her? She stepped closer to him and raised her hand, reaching out towards his shoulder. He saw this and purposely did not move. She pulled her hand back for a moment and then bit her bottom lip. 'One person to put your faith in.' was repeating in her thoughts. Right now, he was the only one that seemed to even care enough to try and gain her trust, so if it were to be anyone, it would be him. She took in a deep breath and quickly set her hand on his shoulder. Her hand was shaking, trembling out of fear. For her this was a large leap of faith, daring to touch someone, and at that a man.

"Would you like to go home now?" Sesshomaru spoke out and startled her. She jumped and took a step back, placing a hand on her shoulder and taking a deep breath. She honestly wanted to laugh at herself at the moment, but she held it in. She calmed down and then looked to him, nodding to answer his question, but then something she didn't expect happened. Her stomach growled. She placed her hands on her stomach and lowered her head. "Or we can go get you something to ea-"

"HEY!" An elderly sounding voice suddenly yelled, "What do you think you are doing? Get away from that child, young man! You hurt her and I'll pop you one so help me!"

"Old Lady Kaede?" Sesshomaru looked back, raising an eyebrow at the old woman who threatened him. He knew her, and she knew him well. "What are you doing?"

"Oh... Sesshomaru, dear. Please tell me you are not harming the girl?" Kaede said stepping over to them. She was an elderly woman, probably in her late seventies. Kagome stepped in and shook her head wildly. "Oh I see. Well if Kagome says you aren't doing anything wrong, then I will trust. I am glad though. Out of all the young men that she could be hanging out with, you and your brother are probably the only that I would trust with her safety."

"Thank you Kaede. That is kind." Sesshomaru nodded to the woman. He obviously respected her, and Kagome could tell. A very small smile snuck onto her lips.

"Ah! I saw that child." Kaede said, giggling slightly, "Oh, I almost forgot. I have some oranges and apples you can take home with you. We have a great stock, so they should last you a while. Come on, come on!" Kaede lead them inside the shop and picked up a box of apples and oranges. Kagome looked excited and reached out for one of them, but Sesshomaru stopped her.

"I am going to buy you a meal. I have a feeling that fruit is the main thing you've been eating." He told her and Kagome didn't listen. She once again tried to grab an apple, but was stopped.

"Let the girl eat!" Kaede said, tapping the top of the hand Sesshomaru stopped Kagome with.

"Lady Kaede, Kagome has not eaten anything decent in a while. She needs nutrients that fruit can't always provide. She's practically starving herself." Sesshomaru explained and put a lid on the box of fruits.

"What do you mean child? She has not been eating?" Kaede asked, trying to get an explanation.

"Not healthy at least. She fainted today from a lack of food. What else do you have in this shop?" He looked around and saw a few things. He stepped over to an empty crate and picked it up. Kaede and Kagome watched him as he picked out a bunch of carrots, celery, and potato's. He went over to a large cooler and picked out some meats. Kagome and Kaede looked to each other confused and then he walked over to them, "How much?"

"Oh... Well for you, free of course." Kaede said with a smile.

"It isn't for me. It's for her." Sesshomaru said, pulling out his wallet, "And you know I will not take this free, how much?" He looked to Kaede and out of the corner of his eyes noticed the look on Kagome's face. She was shocked. She shook her head no, but he ignored her. He handed Kaede the money and then picked up the crate. He also picked up the box of fruits and began walking out the front of the store. "Do you have your stuff?" He asked and Kagome looked around.

She quickly ran to the back of the store and grabbed her bag. She saw that Kai and Jin had woken up and her eyes widened. At first she froze, but then pulled out a small rag from her bag. She went over to the store again, used the sink to wet it and ran back out. Kaede and Sesshomaru raised their eyebrows and then Sesshomaru's eyes widened. He set the crates down and jogged to the back of the store. He saw Kagome handing the wet rag to Jin, who was still covered in his own blood. His face was puffed up, and he was bruised all over. He was also holding his stomach.

Jin looked up to see Kagome standing a few feet away. She looked scared and he was about to get angry and begin yelling but was stopped when she held out the rag. He looked at the rag shocked, then back up to her. She was shaking. He glanced over to Kai who was just glancing back and forth between the girl and Sesshomaru. Jin looked back to Kagome and reached out for the rag. He took it and she immediately pulled her hand back. Jin began wiping the blood away from his face and then nodded to her, "Thanks... And uh... I'm.. I'm sorry."

Kai looked over to Jin and blinked, shocked that he actually apologized. Kagome nodded, accepting his apology and then glanced back over to Kai. She turned and just ran away from them, retuning to the shop with her stuff. She stopped in the shop and felt dizzy. The effect of the adrenaline was finally subsiding and she held her head. Sesshomaru glanced back to Jin and Kai for a moment and then closed the shop door. He went over to the crate and box and picked them up again. Glancing back towards Kagome, he motioned for her to follow and waved to Kaede.

"You two take care of yourselves." Kaede said waving to them as they both left.

Kagome kept about three feet between her and Sesshomaru, leading him towards her apartment. He was carrying a crate full of food and a box of fruit, yet he didn't seem to be bothered by it. He refused to allow her to carry it, even though the food was said to be for her. After about ten minutes of silent walking, she stopped. He noticed and stopped as well, looking back towards her. She looked towards a building and to the ground. It was where she lived, and frankly she was embarrassed by it. Sesshomaru glanced towards the building and then back to her, raising an eyebrow.

"Is this where you live?" Sesshomaru asked and she nodded, seeming shy as shame moved onto her face, "You don't have to be embarrassed by it." He said but she still was.

Shugotenshi High was a a private school known for it's student's above average academic scores and it's music and sports program. Everyone who went there was considered to be exceptional students, intelligent, classy, and were expected to do great. Although the students there were actually quite normal, the fact that you had to pay a bit extra and take a rather tough entrance exam gave the school an elite reputation. Most of the kids were well-off, living in large houses with richer families and in much nicer neighborhoods than this one. The fact that she was probably the only student that had ever even set foot in this part of town embarrassed her.

This embarrassment she felt confused Sesshomaru. She could be bullied, assaulted, and called a whore straight to her face, and never did she flinch or fight back, but the moment that someone saw where she lived, she actually showed embarrassment. She definitely was a very strange girl, so different than all of the ones that went to the school. He took a step closer to her, and she tensed up slightly, so he didn't get any closer. She got the courage to look up to him and noticed he was just staring down at her, which made her feel more awkward.

"I won't tell anyone..." Sesshomaru told her, reassuring her that her secret will be kept, "I don't know what you think of me, but I am not going to tell anyone about this. I know we go to what is considered to be an elite school, so you are probably embarrassed about showing someone where you live. It's true that you don't live on the nicest side of town, but don't be so hard on yourself. Now, let's go in."

Kagome listened to him with an emotionless face. Once he said to go in, she nodded and hurried up the front steps. Leading him down a hall that needed painted and smelled rather horrible, she brought him over to an old elevator, but passed it by. At first he thought they were going to take it up, but realized it probably wasn't very safe. Unfortunate, but true. The stuff he was carrying was actually getting slightly heavy for him while they walked up multiple flights of steep stairs. They got to the third floor and she pulled out a key, opening one of the doors to an apartment. Stepping inside, she moved off towards the side so he can walk in. She kept her head lowered, still feeling ashamed and embarrassed of what he was about to see.

"Hm, where is all of your furniture?" He asked her. It was the first thing he noticed when he walked in. There was a single chair, an old two seated couch, and nothing else. There were no tables, no curtains, nothing. It was just a small room with a small kitchen and a bathroom. There was no other doors or anything, so where was her bed? She just shook her head no to answer his question. He walked over and set the crate and box down on the floor near the fridge, which was also very small. "Where do you sleep?" He asked her and she looked away towards the small couch.

Sesshomaru let out an irritated growl and she moved away from him. When he noticed her reaction, he apologized and sighed, stepping over to the chair and sat down. It wasn't even a nice chair, but instead a metal one that some use at picnic tables. She couldn't really be living in this. This was horrible. No bed or anything to keep herself comfortable. It was then when he realized what was lighting the place up. Four small candles that had already melted half way through. It was around eight at night, so he tried to flick on a light. When it didn't work, he looked towards her and narrowed his eyes. She just looked away.

"Why do you live in this? Why would your Mom and Dad allow this shit?" He asked, sounding extremely frustrated at her situation. He looked to her and saw her staring at the wall with wide eyes. He gave her a concerned look and stepped over, keeping some space between them, "Are you all right?" Her head snapped over to him and she nodded. He was shocked. She had begun sweating, as if she was getting sick. Her skin had also gone slightly pale. "Okay, you need to eat now. Go lay down."

Kagome did as she was told and went to lay down on the couch. She kept her eyes on him as he began looking through the drawers in the kitchen, realizing that they were almost all empty. Slightly angered, he glanced back to her, and raised an eyebrow. She had not stopped watching him. He felt sort of off. He wasn't used to this type of attention. She wasn't watching him like the girls at school who came to his soccer games, or like his teachers and parents when it came to his work or chores. No, he was being watched as if he was a criminal that had broken into someones house. Although she allowed him here, he was beginning to get the feeling that he still wasn't truly welcome.

His thoughts were correct of course. He was definitely good at reading people. She didn't want him there. She didn't want anyone in her home. She wasn't even blinking like normal because of how alert she felt she needed to be. She wasn't going to allow herself to relax when a man that could take advantage of her at any moment was in her home. He said he wouldn't hurt her. He said he wasn't that type of guy, but she's heard that shit many times before. Just because he seemed a bit more serious about it, she wasn't going to trust it. For all she knew, he could be a really good actor and was just trying to get her to trust him for his own personal gain.

_'This is getting irritating.'_ he thought to himself as he once again glanced back to her after checking a few more drawers. She still had not looked away. It was making him feel like some sort of animal at the zoo. He was just trying to help her out a bit. He sighed and walked over to her. She quickly sat up, but got dizzy immediately, "I'm going to order us something to eat. You have nothing to cook with here, nor does the gas for the stove work..." He pulled out a cell phone and walked away. After a few moments, he went back over to the chair and they sat there in silence. Kagome kept her eyes on him as usual, watching him like a hawk.

**END OF CHAPTER!**

**Reviews Appreciated!**


	4. Through The Night

Chapter Four: Through The Night

Kagome didn't seem to have the normal need to blink when her eyes were open. Her eyes had not averted their gaze at all in the last three minutes that the two had just been sitting there. He was just putting away the meats and anything that needed to be kept cool, so the staring was completely unnecessary. He had finally gotten annoyed enough to look straight back at her, tilting his head to the side. She pushed herself back into the couch a bit more, frightened by the look he had given her. She did not realize that she was staring at him. It was truly how she got used to acting around people because of the way she was constantly treated by her classmates and people on the streets. It has probably been three years since anyone had ever come over to her home, so this was unusual for her.

"So, why don't you have a bed for yourself?" He suddenly asked her, "I'd think it'd be a bit more important than buying a couch, don't you?" He kept his eye on her still. His staring was making her feel uncomfortable, but at the moment it was the same thing she was doing to him. She said nothing to answer his question. She just glanced off for a second and then looked back to him. "Why won't you speak? You did in the class today."

Kagome just shook her head, turning away from him for a moment. It probably wasn't the best idea to stop looking at him because she suddenly felt him get onto the couch. She looked over to him with wide eyes and went to jump off the couch, but he stopped her by setting his hands on top of her shoulders and keeping her still. She began kicking at him, trying to get him to let go, but he refused.

"Calm down!" Sesshomaru said in a demanding voice and she froze. "I told you I wasn't going to hurt you and I meant it. Explain to me why you are so afraid of everything. You avoid talking to people, you get freaked out when someone walks passed you, and if someone dares touch you, you panic and either cry or try to get away. What is wrong with you?" Kagome looked up to him with wide eyes, giving him a 'How dare you' look. In her mind, there was nothing wrong with her. She just didn't trust anyone else in this horrible world of hers.

"Nothing." she lowered her head and mumbled under her breath, "There is nothing wrong with me. I just hate everything and everyone. I don't trust anyone." Sesshomaru blinked, taken aback by the full sentences she was giving him. Although her voice was low and scratchy, it pleased him to know that he had finally gotten her to say something.

"And why is that?" He said to her, loosening his grip on her shoulders, "I have done nothing to make you not trust me. If anything you should trust me more."

"Why should I trust you?" She kept her head lowered, talking in a slight hiss, and sounding evil, "I don't talk to anyone because they don't talk to me, and I have nothing to say. I avoid people because no one wants to be near me, and if someone touches me, the intentions behind it are usually to assault or violate me, so tell me... Why should I trust anyone in this untrustworthy world?"

"Why don't you tell me when I gave you the impression that I wanted to hurt you?" Sesshomaru asked her, causing her eyes to widen. He was right technically. He never went to harm her, and even went out of his way to help her out, so why did she treat him like he was no different than anyone else. "Kagome, I am not saying that I want you to tell me your life story, nor am I saying that I want you to try and be around everyone at school, but it wouldn't be so bad if you had someone, right?"

"Had someone?" Kagome blinked, confused by his meaning.

"Yes, had someone. A friend, that one person you can trust." He explained and stared at her. Kagome noticed something then. He never smiled either, and rarely showed any of his emotions as well. She relaxed in the couch a bit and watched him. They stared into each others eyes for a moment and then she tilted her head to the side. Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow. That motion of tilting her head made him wonder if he had gotten through to her. Normally she was stiff.

"Sesshomaru..." she talked normally now, her eyes softening slightly, making him feel like he was no longer being watched like someones prey, "Why don't you smile?"

"Huh...?" He was taken by surprise. No one had ever asked him about his lack of smiling, "I just don't really. I have not ever had a reason to smile."

"I used to..." Kagome told him, and he got interested really fast, "I used to smile.. about three and a half years ago actually, but things change. People change." She tilted her head to the other side now, the look in her eyes shifting back to it's threatening demeanor.

"Why does everyone call you a whore?" Sesshomaru suddenly asked, changing the subject and causing Kagome's heart to skip a beat. She looked away from him, once again having that shameful look on her face. "I know you aren't one. It's a bit obvious that you're not, but why do you allow it? Why did all of that bullshit start in the first place?"

"Why are you so interested in me?" Kagome asked him, her tone slightly curious. "If you're so interested in me, why don't you tell me something about you? I don't find it fair that I am getting interrogated about my past and behavior when you have not offered a single bit of information about yourself." Sesshomaru leaned against the back of the couch. He looked away from her and to the floor, having a saddened look creep onto his own face. Kagome noticed this, wondering what nerve she had hit for him to switch up so quickly.

"I was ten and my mother committed suicide." He spoke honestly to her. Kagome's eyes widened and she was about to say something, but he continued on. "I was coming home from school. I walked into the house and there she was, laying on the ground with blood everywhere. I ran to her and saw the gun in her hand... I didn't understand at the time. She always seemed to happy, so why would she do something like that? Later... I found out why." Kagome relaxed again, listening to his story. "She had found out a while back about my father having an affair with some woman he had met on a trip to Okinawa. He told her it had ended and she thought he was telling the truth, but the woman showed up one day with some kid who was about my age. I was told to take him and go to a friends house. I don't know what happened, but soon after she killed herself, only a month had passed and that same woman and her son moved in with us..."

"Your brother, Inuyasha? The one I met?" Kagome asked, shocking Sesshomaru with how sincere and interested she actually sounded when asking the question. He looked to her again, his eyes softened and full of sadness. He nodded to answer her question and stayed silent for a while, but then he spoke up again.

"I grew up hating that woman. It was always her fault in my eyes." Sesshomaru sighed and shook his head, "It wasn't though... It was my Fathers. She had been lied to, just like my mother. She had no clue that he had a kid and wife in Tokyo. Every single day she felt guilty because of me. She felt by showing up like that, it was her fault that I had lost my mother in such a horrible manner..."

"Does she know how you feel now?" Kagome asked and her looked back towards her with wide eyes. He had thought about telling her, but never really had so he shook his head no, "I think you should tell her and you should tell Inuyasha too. I am sure he can tell that his mother is in pain because of how she feels about what happened."

"I don't know how to tell her..." Sesshomaru shook his head.

"If you tell her... I'll do my best to trust you." Kagome said and Sesshomaru's eyes widened, "I can tell you don't usually talk about things like this with anyone and you took a big leap of faith when you decided to tell me. I don't know if you told me because you know I refuse to talk at school, or because you actually do wish for me to get to know you, but either way... I guess that..." She took in a deep breath and let out a sigh, "Since you've done so much for me, I can trust you."

"Thank you." Sesshomaru nodded and a small smile snuck it's way onto his lips. It was quickly pushed away once he realized he was doing it, but Kagome saw it nonetheless. Suddenly a knock came to the door and Kagome stood up. She walked over to open the door, but only opened it a couple of inches.

"Delivery." a young man said, holding up a pizza. Kagome blinked, slightly confused, but then Sesshomaru opened the door and handed the man some money, "Oh, hey Sesshomaru. What's up? Why are you on this side of town?"

"Koga, take the money and go." Sesshomaru said and Koga took the money. He was about to leave when he looked to Kagome. Koga raised an eyebrow at Sesshomaru and was only rewarded with an intense glare, "Go."

"Alright, alright! I'm going. You two have fun." Koga smirked and ran off after handing over the pizza, some paper plates, some napkins and four drinks.

"Do you know him?" Kagome asked as she went into the apartment again and set the pizza box down on the chair. Sesshomaru went over and sat down next to her, nodding to her question. He opened the pizza box and placed a slice on a plate and handed it to her. "Thank you... Well who is he?" She took the plate and picked up the slice, taking a small bite.

"He goes to our school. I did not think he would be the one delivering to us." Sesshomaru suddenly felt slightly stupid when he realized that Koga now knew where she lived. "I forgot that he worked there. It has been a while since he and I have talked. He was my best friend at a time."

"Oh." Kagome she said after she finished chewing and swallowed.

"So, when are you going to tell me about yourself?" Sesshomaru asked and Kagome lowered her head, not wanting to remember her past at the moment. She was actually beginning to enjoy herself slightly, and having to talk about something like that would just ruin it. "I am probably not supposed to mention anything, but the nurse at school said you had gone through absolute hell when I took you there. She refused to give any details, but I do have to say it caught my interest a bit. I've never seen the nurse that worried about anyone before."

"I... I..." Kagome began to choke on her own words as tears dropped down her cheeks. Her body began to tremble as she thought about what she could tell him about her. She remembered nothing really positive about her past, so when she thought it only hurt her.

"Hey, calm down." He told her setting his plate down on the now closed pizza box. He reached out for her, but she pulled away from him, hugging herself as she tried to calm down. _'Are her memories that bad? Kagome.. what happened to you?' _ he asked himself and then leaned in to her. He didn't touch her, but he got a little close, "You don't have to tell me anything that you don't want to tell me. Don't think about it if it hurts you so much." Kagome nodded and took in a few deep breaths. After a while she began to feel weak and began eating her pizza. Sesshomaru picked up the bottles of juice that he had ordered and was glad to feel that they were still cold.

"Drink it after you have some food in your stomach." He said holding it out to her, "If you drink it before that, you could make yourself feel sick." Kagome nodded and cautiously took the bottle from him. She set it on the ground and turned to her pizza which was sitting in her lap. The two of them ate in silence, not looking at each other or speaking to one another. Once they were done eating, the entire pizza was gone. Kagome had eaten three slices rather slowly, so Sesshomaru ended up eating the rest. Of course she didn't mind. He was the one who paid for it after all. "I'm going to take this to the trash... There's a chute down the hall, right?"

Kagome nodded and he walked out with the empty pizza box and anything else that was dirty or used. He closed the door behind him and walked down the hallway to find the chute. Once he did, he tossed it all down into the trash and dusted his hands off. Once he returned to her apartment, he stepped in and was pleasantly surprised at what he saw. She had curled herself up onto one side of the couch and fallen asleep. He walked over and sat down on the other side and kicked his feet up onto the metal chair. He wasn't sure of what he should do at this point and did not want to wake her, but at the same time it was a little too late to be heading home, especially with how far that he lived. He sighed and decided that she would not be happy, but he was staying. He relaxed and closed his eyes, falling asleep rather quickly.

The next morning the two of them woke up at the same time. His cell phone alarm had gone off. It was programmed to wake him up for school. Sesshomaru opened his eyes and went to dig into his pocket, but realized that Kagome had her head laying on his leg. She was waking up as well. He froze, panicking slightly. He assumed that because they were as close as they were that she was going to freak out at the fact that she had her head in his lap. It's not like he put it there, but the physical contact would more than likely startle her. Kagome opened her eyes and stretched out. She blinked a couple times and realized that she was staring right up at Sesshomaru. Her eyes widened in fear and she jumped to her feet. The first thing she did was check her body, which greatly insulted Sesshomaru.

"What are you doing?" He asked her in an angered tone. "I take it you assumed that I had done something to you, and that is why I was still here? I take great offense to anyone who decides to imply that I am one of those disgusting men who decide to dishonor a woman." Kagome tensed up a bit. The look in his eyes not only terrified her, but it made her feel guilty as well. She felt like she had made a friend last night, so to do something like that was horrible.

"I-I'm... s-sorry..." She said covering her face in shame, "I didn't mean to insult you or anything. It's was just the way I reacted. I am so sorry." She looked to him, her apology really being sincere, but he still glared at her. She thought back and remembered what she had heard. When Mrs. Yasuragi accused him of attempting to take advantage of her, he shouted rather loudly. "Oh... I see. I remember when the teacher was talking to you... the way you reacted. I didn't mea-"

"It's fine Kagome..." Sesshomaru sighed and stood up, "Although I take offense to that usually, I won't this time because I have yet to find out what exactly scares you so much about making physical contact with people. For all I know, someone could have violated you in the past, or maybe something even worse.. It's n-..." Sesshomaru saw the look on Kagome's face change completely and was actually horrified himself, "Kagome, is that what happened to you?" It took her a few seconds, but she soon nodded to his question, tear dropping down her cheek.

"A man... that I thought cared about me decided to try..." She spoke low, her voice cracking every now and then as she choked on her own sobs. Sesshomaru quickly took note of the word 'try' and stepped towards her.

"Did he succeed?" Sesshomaru asked and she looked slightly confused, "You said he decided to try, Kagome. Tell me, did he succeed?" Kagome was about to speak when Sesshomaru's phone went off. "I want to know Kagome..." was all he said when he pulled out his cell phone. He rolled his eyes when he saw who it was and then opened the phone to answer. "Hello? …. Im' busy. …. I'm with a friend! Yes, I'm fine and I will be going to school. Y-yes, I'll be home tonight... Yes, it's girl. No, you probably won't meet her. Ah! Mom! I'll talk to you later damn it." With that he hung up the phone, sighing.

"I'm surprised." Kagome said, smiling softly at him.

"Of what?" Sesshomaru asked.

"You called her Mom." Kagome went to grab her bag and picked it up.

"I did?" Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow, not even realizing what he had said. _'If I did call Izayoi Mom, that's this girls fault... Putting that shit into my head about forgiving her. Damn it... Well, I guess it isn't really a bad thing.' _Sesshomaru followed Kagome out of the apartment and waited for her as she locked it. They walked out to the front and began heading to school, both of them realizing that they were with each other through the entire night.

**END OF CHAPTER!**

**Reviews Are Appreciated!**


	5. A Group Meal

Chapter Five: A Group Meal

Inuyasha and Miroku were standing outside of the school gate talking to each other while waiting to see whether Sesshomaru would show up. Inuyasha had gotten a call from his mother saying that he was still going to show up for class, so they were going to see where he was. Inuyasha sighed in irritation when he looked at his watch. It was ten minutes before class and Sesshomaru still was not there. He usually arrived an hour before class started to get some soccer practice in, so this was rather unusual of his brother.

"Where the fuck is he? He was out all night." Inuyasha leaned up against the wall and looked down the street where Sesshomaru normally came from.

"There he is." Miroku pointed the opposite direction. Inuyasha looked to see his brother walking towards the school with Kagome at his side. "Wow, is he really with that chick? What is he doing?"

"I don't know!" Inuyasha stood straight and walked towards his brother, his fist clenched tightly as if he was ready to fight his brother for an explanation.

Kagome and Sesshomaru were silent most of the way. They stopped by Sesshomaru's request to buy a muffin and some coffee for each of them at a little cafe. Kagome quickly realized that he was probably going to be making sure that she ate correctly from now on, but didn't know how he was going to continue doing that. It's not like he could watch her when she was at home. They were getting closer to the school when Sesshomaru stopped walking. She looked up to him, still keeping her three feet distance from him. Noticing that he was looking at something, she looked forward to see Inuyasha walking quite angrily towards them. Kagome's eyes widened and she took a step back.

"You'll be fine." Sesshomaru said to her before Inuyasha got to close. Kagome nodded and calmed down watching as Inuyasha stopped in front of Sesshomaru, Miroku soon following suit. "Is there something you need, Inuyasha?"

"Uh, yeah! Where the fuck were you last night?" Inuyasha glared at him, glancing over to Kagome who looked away shyly. "You were supposed to be helping me with soccer practice so I can try out for the team! You didn't call or warn anyone. Mom and Dad were worried sick."

"I had my phone on all night. I have zero missed calls." Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow at his obnoxious brother, "So is there a reason none of you took the time to call me if you were so worried?"

"Eh... Okay, I guess not, but still! You could have called us as well." Inuyasha said and then looked to Kagome again, "And what the hell are you doing with this chick." He pointed down to her as if she was something lower than himself. Kagome took a step back and then looked to the floor, trembling slightly. Inuyasha looked at her like everyone else did. The look of disgust and hate. She hated it, but rarely said anything about it.

"That was rather rude, Inuyasha." Miroku pushed Inuyasha's hand back down so he wouldn't be pointing at her like that, "Back off, damn." Miroku smiled guiltily towards Kagome and sighed, "I'm sorry about that. He can be a bit of an ass at times. Don't worry about him. He's harmless." Miroku then stepped towards her and reached out, grabbing Kagome's hand. Kagome's eyes got wider and wider until Sesshomaru grabbed onto Miroku's wrist and squeezed it tight enough for him to let go. "OW!"

"You will not be flirting with this one." Sesshomaru demanded, releasing his wrist. "Touch her, get too close, or hurt her in any way, you'll be answering to me, got it?" Kagome looked towards Sesshomaru, shocked at his protective nature, even when it gets between him and a friend. She was truly smiling on the inside. She felt like she actually might have found someone to really trust.

"Alright... Damn. That hurt you know." Miroku rubbed his wrist and then looked back to Kagome, "I am really sorry about that. It's become a dangerous habit, but I'll be sure to avoid doing it to you. Not just for your safety, but for my own as well." Miroku laughed a bit rubbing the back of his head and then realized something, "Oh, yeah... You're the girl who can't talk. Hey, but aren't you the girl that everyone calls bad names as well?"

"One of those names ever exits yours or any of my friends mouths, I cut out your fucking throat." Sesshomaru said continuing to walk towards the school. "Come on, Kagome." Kagome quickly inched her way around Inuyasha and Miroku, running to catch up with Sesshomaru. Miroku and Inuyasha looked to each other rather confused and then followed behind the two, keeping a slight distance between them.

As they entered school grounds, everyone was shocked. They all turned to see Sesshomaru, the hottest and most sought after guy in school, walking in with Kagome the girl well known for having lots of sex with anyone, even if they were family. This was an appalling scene, some even assuming that they must have just arrived at the same time, but that theory was shot when Inuyasha and Miroku came in as well.

Miroku was a flirt to most, but still had a hold of a few girls hearts. He was good looking and he knew it. Inuyasha was more sought after than Miroku, but wasn't really interested in many girls, always leaving a lot with broken hearts. So the fact that they had walked in with Kagome really meant something, and unfortunately it wasn't going to be a good reputation change for her. She could already hear the people gossiping about how she was trying to make her move on the hot guys in school, and others saying that they were only hanging out with her as if she were some charity case. The idea of being called a charity case really hurt. Did these people not realize that she too was a human being, or were they themselves to insecure in their own lives, they had to pick on her? Either way it was disgusting and she hated them all for it.

"What... is going on?" Kikyo and Sango stepped out into the hallway that they were all walking down and were surprised to see Kagome with them. Sesshomaru stopped walking, but Kagome did not. She continued her way into the classroom, keeping her head low as she passed cautiously by the two girls and went to her seat. They closed the door behind her and then looked to the boys.

"What are you guys doing with that girl?" Sango asked, her hands placed on her hips. "I can't believe you'd take such a risk to be near her."

"Yeah, you know what she is! Remember? The Whore of Wak-" Kikyo stopped speaking when Inuyasha shook his head, placing a finger in front of his lips. He had noticed that his brothers hand had tightened exponentially around the handle of his bag and he was becoming extremely irritated, or in more expressive words, he was pissed off. Kikyo and Sango watched as Sesshomaru stepped passed them and entered the classroom. They stayed quiet until he closed the door behind him and then they looked to Inuyasha and Miroku.

"What's going on?" Sango asked.

"I honestly don't know... I was out there waiting for him, and he shows up walking that sl-" Miroku slapped a hand over Inuyasha's mouth before he could continue that sentence.

"Are you crazy? Did you not hear what your brother said he would do if he heard any of us saying any thing bad about her? I don't know about you, but I don't want my throat cut out." Miroku said and Inuyasha nodded in agreement. Miroku removed his hand and sighed, "Sesshomaru is scary man... I don't get how he hasn't been arrested and put in jail."

"Maybe that's because he doesn't do anything?" Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at the idiotic statement that Miroku had just made, "My brother is scary, yeah. I get that, but he is actually a good guy. He doesn't do anything illegal, he doesn't get in fights, and he has everyone's back if he is cool with them. If he is interested in this Kagome chick, then she must not be as bad as people say. Give her a break. I think we should try to get to know her a bit."

"If you say so..." Sango sounded slightly worried. The rumors she had heard about Kagome made her want to avoid the girl. If they were true, she really wouldn't want to hang out with her, and would never try to actually get to know her. Kikyo nodded in agreement and they all went into the classroom. The expected to see Sesshomaru in his regular seat, but he wasn't. He had moved to sit right behind Kagome, which made them all look suspiciously at him. The person that had previously been sitting there was asked to move, and of course they would have since it was another love struck girl that was also frightened of Kagome that had been sitting there.

"All right class..." Mrs. Yasuragi stepped in right on time as usual. The bell rang at the moment and she closed the door behind her. "To your seats and since it's Friday, I am sure you all know what is coming up. Test time!" The entire class groaned, obviously disliking the idea of a test, "Now, now... If you guys paid any attention in class, this should be easy for you. Nothing is on the test that we haven't covered already. I made sure of it because I am the one who made the test..." She pulled out the test papers as the kids all got ready and then began passing them out. As she came to Kagome and Sesshomaru's section, a small smile was given to the two when she realized Sesshomaru had switched seats to be near her.

Once all the tests were passed out, everyone was happy to see there were only ten questions. It was rather easy for both Kagome and Sesshomaru, but the entire class seemed to be having their own problems. Sesshomaru immediately thought to himself, _'Maybe if you all stopped flirting with one another and talking shit about Kagome, you'd be passing this test.' _Soon the test was over and there was still thirty more minutes of class left. One thing that everyone liked about Mrs. Yasuragi is that her tests were short enough, if you paid attention, that you'd have time to goof off a bit once everyone was done and she'd grade them, giving you the grade rather quickly.

"Okay. Tests are finished and graded. Get back into your seats and I'll hand them back." Mrs Yasuragi stood up while kids returned to their seats. There was about ten minutes of class left and the first person she went to was Kagome, "Congratulations on not only getting the highest score in class, but also answering the two bonus questions on that back completely correct." Kagome took the paper and nodded to her teacher. The students where all in shock, most of them thinking if it was possible that an intelligent whore actually existed.

"Nice job." Sesshomaru mumbled under his breath so only she could hear as he was handed the second paper. He too had gotten all the questions right, but rarely did he ever care about the bonus on the back of the paper. Answering them was optional, and he wasn't the type to do something he didn't have to do if he knew the main part was satisfactory.

Kagome glanced back to him and nodded. She leaned over and looked at what grade he had gotten and them gave him a thumbs up. Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow, wondering if that was her way of saying good job or not. Assuming it was, he gave a slight smirk and then put the test away. Everyone sat, gossiping about what the relationship between the two of them was, but most doubted really anything. Some said that he wasn't stupid enough to date her, while others said that if they were dating he was way too good for her. Kagome sighed at everything she could hear the people saying and laid her head down on the desk.

"Hey..." someone suddenly said to her and she sat up, pressing herself into the chair as if she wanted to get away. She looked up to see Sango standing above her with her test in hand, "I know... I wasn't the nicest to you out in the hall, and that I have been avoiding you since the day we met... I'm sorry about that, but I kinda... Well I need help." Kagome just stared at her as if she had gone insane and then looked towards the floor. Sango glanced off towards Kikyo and Kikyo motioned for her to continue on talking to her. Taking a deep breath, Sango knelt down next to her, "I... kinda suck at this class. Well actually me and Kikyo both do... We were wondering if you'd be willing to help us out."

Kagome didn't know what to say. She kept quiet as usual and didn't look up to Sango at all. Sango sighed and began to walk off, but Sesshomaru stood up and stopped her. Kagome watched Sesshomaru whisper something into Sango's ear and then Sango smiled and then nodded. Kagome looked at him suspiciously and watched as he sat back down and Sango went back to her desk. He looked at Kagome, who was currently raising an eyebrow at him, giving him a 'and what do you think you're doing' type look. Sesshomaru just stared back, waiting for her to either give up this staring contest or to say something about it. Of course she did not give up. The students watched as the two just stared blankly at each other until the bell rung.

Sesshomaru and Kagome looked towards the clock and then back to each other. It was lunch and Kagome's stomach growled a bit. Slightly embarrassed, she set a hand on her stomach. She stood up and grabbed her things, immediately heading out of class and leaving him behind. Sesshomaru got up and followed her, knowing exactly where she was going anyway. Of course, his brother, Sango, Miroku, and Kikyo decided to follow as well. Sesshomaru opened the door to the roof and raised an eyebrow when he did not see her. He knew she was up here, so why was she hiding? He walked over to the generator, it being the only place she could hide and looked at her as if she were crazy.

"You aren't eating back there, are you?" Sesshomaru held out two sandwiches he had bought from the cafe this morning. One for her, and the other for himself. She must have forgotten about it, because she was able to choose which one she wanted. Her eyes seemed to brighten up and she reached out for it, but he backed up, "No... You come out here and eat like a normal person."

"What are you doing?" Inuyasha asked his brother as him and his friends watched Sesshomaru beckon Kagome with a sandwich. Kagome heard their voices and pushed herself back into the corner.

"What are you doing?" Sesshomaru repeated the question, but this time towards Kagome. He stepped closer to her, ignoring his brother and friends. He leaned in and spoke where only she could hear him, "Hey, you said you were going to put your trust in me. I know you don't know them like I do, but you know they won't dare lay a hand on you. Come out and sit next to me if you want to eat." Kagome stared at him blankly. She wasn't going to come out, so he brought out plan B. He pulled out a bottle of orange juice that she had seemed rather excited about having when they bought it. Kagome's eyes brightened up again and she stood up, walking towards him. With every step she took out of the corner, he took one back, not only to make sure she actually left it, but to give her the space she always wanted. "That's better." he said and then walked over to the opposite end of the roof. She followed him sort of like a puppy. When he sat down, she mimicked him and then he handed her the food and drink.

"What the hell?" Inuyasha came over and sat down next to his brother on the opposite side of Kagome, keeping his distance from the girl. Sango, Miroku, and Kikyo all did the same, but still kept a bit of distance from her. Kagome didn't mind this. She didn't like anyone too close anyway. She unwrapped the sandwich and realized it was already cut in half. She began eating one half, while Sesshomaru began eating his. Inuyasha, Kikyo, and Miroku had their own lunches, but Sango sort of sat there, feeling kind of out of the loop. Kagome immediately noticed this, but did not know what to do.

Everyone went on talking to one another, while she and Sesshomaru stayed silent. Suddenly Sango's stomach began to growl and they looked to her. Kikyo and Inuyasha laughed a bit and Miroku looked down to his own lunch. He would loved to share, but he didn't have too much to begin with and it was soup, so what could he do? Kagome picked up the other half of her sandwich and held it out to Sango without any hesitation, which shocked everyone. Sango shook her head, about to tell her that it was okay, but Kagome pushed it forward more, sort of demanding that Sango take it. After a moment or two, Sango smiled and took the sandwich. Kagome quickly finished her sandwich and then looked to the juice. She reached out to it, picked it up, opened it, and excitedly took a drink.

"Um... Were you really that thirsty?" Sango asked and Kagome nodded, her face still lacking a smile. Putting the drink to her lips again, she quickly downed the rest of it. Sesshomaru was rather fascinated with Kagome's current behavior, finding it rather 'cute'.

"So, Kagome..." Miroku tried to bring up some sort of conversation, "Can I ask where you're from? I know you transferred here a couple weeks ago, but no one seems to know anything about you." His words actually comforted her slightly. He said no one knew anything about her. Either he meant no one has tried to ask her anything, or that no one knew the real truth since everything that was going around was mere rumor and not fact. Whatever he meant, she could tell he was trying to make her feel better about her situation. Everyone looked to her, hoping for an answer. Being stared at made her feel uncomfortable, so she looked down so her bangs would cover her wide, fear filled eyes.

"Miroku, she can't talk, remember?" Sango popped him on the side of the head.

"Oh, shit. Right, I forgot! Sorry, Kagome." Miroku rubbed the spot that was hit and then they all continued to talk among themselves, doing their best to make sure that Kagome knew that she was welcomed into their group. While they were talking, Sesshomaru leaned into Kagome's ear and whispered something. This action caused her to tense up, chills being sent up her entire body.

"Sango and Kikyo really could use some help in Writing Class..." he whispered so only she could hear him. She turned to him a bit, her eyes wide and her body still tense, but she did listen, trying not to react like a paranoid freak. "I have soccer practice almost every day after school, so if you were to help the both of them out during that time, I could make sure to walk you home every day. Just think about it."

Kagome nodded and he backed away from her. She stared at him as if he had gone insane for getting that close to her. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. A few minutes later the bell rang and they returned to their classes until the end of the day finally came and they would be able to go home and rest.

**END OF CHAPTER!**


	6. Meeting His Parents

Chapter Six: Meeting His Parents

It's been a week since she had her first group lunch with her new 'friends'. She didn't know exactly how they felt about her, and was actually not sure about how she felt. She trusted Sesshomaru a lot for some reason, but the others she was sketchy about. She almost felt like she was putting on an act when around them because she just kept quiet and said nothing. She could speak, but they did not know, and Sesshomaru seemed to be keeping her secret as well. She still avoided any contact, except for with Sesshomaru, which shocked everyone. She kept pretty close to him, although touching was rare. Every now and then she actually wanted to tug on his shirt, poke him, or tap his back, but she would always decide against it, thinking that it would take their relationship way to far.

It was the end of another Friday and Sesshomaru was stuck in soccer practice. He walked her home every single day, so she would wait for him. Every now and then she went to the benches and sat down to watch him, but she'd always end up feeling awkward. She wasn't the only one there to watch him. A few other boy obsessed females were there as well, and of course they'd glare at her or insult her when they'd get the chance, but she didn't care. She knew that in the end they were jealous because Sesshomaru was constantly with her and not them, so she let them insult her to make themselves feel better.

Today was different of course. She had sat down on one of the benches a few feet away from the other girls and they all looked extremely angry with her. One of them came over and dumped a bucket of really dirty water that had been sitting out there for a while over her head. All the girls began laughing and caught the attention of the soccer team. They too began laughing, except for Sesshomaru. Kagome didn't move, nor did she seem to care. Instead she stood up and walked off towards the pool which was only a flight of stairs away. She continued going towards the locker room and went to her locker where she kept a change of clothes. She picked out the clothes, went to take a shower, and got dressed again once she was done.

Leaving the locker rooms, she returned to the soccer field and sat down on a bench farther away from the girls. They seemed irritated with the fact that she was so easily able to overcome their immature ways of acting, but she didn't care. Sesshomaru was passed the ball and then put his foot on it to stop it. He looked over to Kagome who was looking a bit different than she usually did. It even caught some of the other players eyes. She had brushed her hair back into a high pony tail and was wearing black jeans and white type with a black vest over it, along with black sneakers.

"Didn't think she could look that good..." one of his teammates said, laughing slightly. Sesshomaru turned his head back towards him, a dark shadow seeming to come over his body as he narrowed his eyes at what the guy had said. "Whoa, Sesshomaru. Calm down man." Another teammate snuck up and kicked the ball out from under Sesshomaru's foot and passed it to another player. For a moment, the seemed to get back into the game, but out of no where the guy who had the ball kicked it extremely hard towards Kagome's head. Sesshomaru watched with wide eyes as the ball flew towards Kagome, but was shocked when Kagome shifted her body only slightly to stop the ball with her shoulder.

"Wow, did you see that?" one of the guys said as Kagome began bouncing the ball over and over again on a single foot. She stood up and moved onto the field. Continuing to bounce the ball on her foot, a teammate tried to come get it, thinking he could easily, but she kicked it higher, tripped him, and then caught it on her ankle again. Putting the ball down and then stepping on it with her foot, she looked around at everyone until she saw the ass that had kicked it towards her in an attempt to hurt her.

Kagome focused for a mere second and kicked the ball a few feet into the air. She then spun her entire body around to gain momentum and then kicked the ball right on target. All everyone could hear was a loud pop as her foot made contact and it flew like lightning through the air. No one had time to stop it and it slammed into the face of the guy who kicked it at her. His body flew into the air and landed rather harshly on the grass beneath. The team ran over to him to see if he was okay, but he seemed dazed.

"Damn that girl's got one hell of a kick on her." one of them said.

"I guess you learned your lesson, huh? Not gonna mess with her again." The team laughed at their fallen teammate and yelled nice kick to Kagome. She just stood there and then glanced to Sesshomaru who was in awe at her at the moment. Not only did she look good in her new outfit, but she had one hell of a kick and great aim.

"Practice is over. It's five." Sesshomaru glanced down at his watch and then walked off the field. The rest of his team nodded in agreement, picking up their fallen friend and carrying him over to the boys locker room. Sesshomaru walked over to Kagome and stared down at her for a minute. At first she thought she was in trouble for hitting his friend. "That was a nice kick." was all he said and she nodded to him. He was impressed with her at the moment.

"SESSHOMARU!" A familiar voice called out and they looked to see Inuyasha waving to him. The two of them looked to each other and then walked towards Inuyasha. Kagome saw Inuyasha begin to run towards them so she moved behind Sesshomaru and peeked out from around him. Sesshomaru looked back to Kagome and then to Inuyasha, obviously being used as some sort of shield.

"What is it, Inuyasha?" Sesshomaru asked as Inuyasha made it to them.

"Well... Uh..." Inuyasha glanced to Kagome who just stared at him with a blank face. "Dad's here."

"What? Why the hell is he here?" Sesshomaru seemed to get irritated really quick.

"He needs us to come with him to one of his meetings again." Inuyasha told Sesshomaru, also sounding slightly annoyed, "Apparently one of his more important clients is in town and has brought their kids with them, so he wants us to be there as well."

"He wants us to entertain his clients daughters at some stupid party, doesn't he?" Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes and Inuyasha nodded to him. "How fuc-..." He let out a low growl and looked back to Kagome. She looked away from him, a look of slight disappointment on her face.

"I'm taking Kikyo, so I don't have to deal with the idiotic chicks there. You know if you bring a date he won't bug you about dealing with them." Inuyasha said and Sesshomaru looked back to him, "Why don't you take Kagome?" Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow and then looked back to her to see her reaction. She blinked a few times and looked up to him.

"Would you even want to go to a party like that?" Sesshomaru asked and she shook her head no. He nodded and looked to Inuyasha, "I don't think it's the type of thing she'd like, and she doesn't want to go anyway, so no."

"Well... When those girls start flirting with you..." Inuyasha began walking around his brother giving him a mischievous smirk, "And whispering into your ear, telling you that you are sexy... And then when they decide to ask you to take them to the courtyard where you could be alone..." Sesshomaru watched his brother walk around him with a look off slight horror in his eyes. "And then when they lean in for that kiss, and you know you're not gonna be able to fight them back because Dad will end up kicking your ass if you disappoint the daughters of a big client."

"Shut up." Sesshomaru glared at Inuyasha and grabbed his brother by the shirt, but was stopped when Kagome grabbed onto his arm. The two brothers looked to her with wide eyes, taken aback by her willingness to touch Sesshomaru without hesitation. Kagome nodded and Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow, "So... you'll go?" She nodded again and Sesshomaru looked to Inuyasha who was smiling like he had it all planned out. He let go his his brother and turned back to Kagome with a hint of a smile on his lips, "Thank you, Kagome."

"Well, we better get going..." Inuyasha said, his hands placed behind his head while walking back towards the front gate, "Dad'll get pissy if we don't get to the car."

Sesshomaru held a hand out to Kagome and she stared at it for a minute. She wasn't sure what he wanted her to do and looked back up to him. He said nothing, but instead waited for her to figure it out on her own. She raised her hand up and slowly laid it into his. He noticed her hand was quivering, but he softly wrapped his hand around hers to give a sense of security. He began walking, gently pulling her along until they made it to the gate. Kagome kept her eyes on their hands. Her heart beat had sped up. She didn't know whether she was excited, nervous, or afraid, but she didn't let go.

When they got to the gate, Kagome's eyes widened at those who were there. Not noticing it, she tightened her hand around Sesshomaru's and hid behind them. Her other hand grabbed onto the back of his shirt, clinging to him for dear life. Sesshomaru couldn't help but feel rather important at this moment since she was looking to him for protection, and then looked forward to see Kikyo, his Father and Inuyasha's mother standing outside of a limo, watching him. Inuyasha's mother had her hair pinned up rather decoratively, wearing a long burgundy gown, complimented by a matching sash and heels. Their father was wearing a tux, his hair pulled back into a low ponytail.

"Son, who is the young lady behind you?" His father asked rather politely. He tilted his head to the side to try and look around his son, but Kagome was hidden well. "Could it be the young woman that we have heard so much about?" Kagome's eyes widened, shocked about the fact that they must have talked about her when they're at home.

"Yes." was all Sesshomaru said, "Her name is Kagome." He purposely tightened his hand around Kagome's to comfort her and she loosened her hand on his shirt.

"She doesn't talk and is rather shy, but she's actually a really nice girl, Dad." Inuyasha said, walking over to Kikyo who was keeping silent. "So. Be. Nice." Inuyasha seemed to command his father and the man just laughed at his son.

"I will be, but I wouldn't mind seeing her face." He walked over to Sesshomaru and the two of them looked at each other eye to eye. They were the same height. Sesshomaru glared at his father slightly, as if warning him to stay back.

"She will show herself when she is ready." Izayoi, Inuyasha's mother, stepped forward and set a hand on InuTaisho's, their Father's, shoulder. "Leave the girl be... Sesshomaru, will she be joining us for the party this evening?"

"She has said she will come. I am hoping her mind does not change." Sesshomaru said rather honestly. He felt Kagome shift and could feel her eyes on him. She looked up to him, her eyes looking really bright, as if she were excited for something, but that quickly changed.

"What will she wear?" InuTaisho asked suddenly, making Kagome feel rather insecure. "Here, son. Buy her whatever she wishes. Be there around seven thirty. You've got two hours." Sesshomaru took a large amount of cash that his father was holding out and watched as they left. Inuyasha and Kikyo waved and got into the car with Izayoi and InuTaisho. They drove off and Kagome finally calmed down. She released Sesshomaru's shirt and he turned around to her.

"Are you sure you want to come?" Sesshomaru asked her and she nodded. He sighed and shook his head, "I hope you aren't doing it just because of what Inuyasha said. Is that why you're going?" He watched her for a moment and then she nodded.

"Yeah..." Kagome said, looking to the floor. "I hate girls."

"Huh? You are a girl." Sesshomaru was slightly confused by her statement.

"I know, but I still hate them. They do stupid things." Kagome said looking off into the distance. She was rather blunt and straight forward in her wording. Honesty was something Sesshomaru liked, so he didn't mind it, but some times he didn't understand where she was coming from. He also enjoyed the fact that he was the only one in this entire school that was able to constantly ear her voice.

"Yeah, a lot of them do stupid things, but what do you mean by it?" Sesshomaru asked and the two of them began walking down the street together.

"They're bad. Girls obsess over boys like you." Kagome was speaking expressionlessly, keeping her eyes straight forward on where they were walking, "Because they obsess they hurt other people for no real reason. Kind of like dumping dirty water over a girl's head out of jealousy."

"I see..." Sesshomaru watched her as they walked down the street and then realized where she was coming from. Those idiotic girls from practice were the best example of why he didn't like being around females that much, but Kagome was different. He enjoyed being around her because he didn't have to worry about constant flirting, being asked out, or feeling as if he was just eye candy.

"I won't let it happen." Kagome said, catching his attention again, "I don't want it to happen. There is a reason you avoid girls. You avoid them because you don't enjoy how they treat you. I avoid people because of how they treat me too. Which is why I want to be there for you, like you've been there for me. If I have to deal with being near a lot of people to keep you from feeling uncomfortable, then I will do it. It's what you do for me all the time."

"Kagome..." Sesshomaru stopped walking and watched her. She looked back towards him, her face still as emotionless as ever, "It seems you can read me better than I thought..."

"I know some things about you. Your reaction to girls is the thing I notice the most." Kagome blinked a few times while explaining things to him, "I don't like it when they're near you. I don't like it when they watch you, touch you, or talk to you. I know saying it so bluntly probably makes it sound weird, but don't take it that way. I don't like all of these things because the look in your eyes when it happens makes me mad. You look caged, like you feel trapped and can't get out of it. When you have that look come over you, I want to do something, but I am too afraid to. I also don't like being afraid to help you..." She looked to the floor, slightly ashamed, "Which is why I am going to be strong and come with you today... I want to help you." With that said, Kagome turned away and began walking towards her home once more.

"Thank you... Kagome..." Sesshomaru mumbled under his breath and began to follow her. After a few moments he remembered, "Oh, shit. Kagome?" She stopped walking and looked up to him, "Do you have a dress?"

"Huh?" For the first time ever, Sesshomaru saw an immense amount of emotion in her eyes. Her eyes widened and a lot of worry moved onto her face. "I have no dress."

"Well, it seems we must buy you one." Sesshomaru gently took her hand and began walking the opposite direction. Kagome watched him, blinking a few times. She looked down to his hand while they walked and once again felt her heart beat speed up. Sesshomaru glanced back to her and stopped walking when he saw the look on her face. "Do you feel uncomfortable with me holding your hand?"

"I... Uh..." She looked up to him, her cheeks turning red.

"Are you blushing?" He raised an eye brow at her, confused on what that meant. With other girls, he was easily able to get what blushes meant, but with her it was confusing.

"I am?" She stood up straight and touched her cheek to see if she was.

_'She can't tell?' _He stared blankly at her for a minute and then shook his head, "Come on... Let's go." He let go of her hand and began walking beside her.

She followed him for about ten minutes. They stayed quiet the entire time, but once they finally got to the store he wanted to go to, she definitely felt like a fish out of water. She looked around and everything was high class, expensive, and completely opposite of her. A woman from the store walked up to them and she took a step behind Sesshomaru, peeking out to the side to watch her. Sesshomaru fought a smile, since he once again thought her reactions were rather 'cute'. The woman looked at Kagome slightly confused and then turned to Sesshomaru.

"Hello. Is there anything I can do for you?" the woman asked.

"Where is Jakotsu?" Sesshomaru asked and a young man with his hair in a ponytail popped his head out from the back room.

"I'm heeeerrrre!" He skipped over to the two of them and stopped in front of Sesshomaru, "Oh me, oh my! Sesshomaru, it's been a while, darling." Jakotsu giggled a bit and then looked to Kagome, "Oh, who is this pretty little thing?"

"Cut the crap, please?" Sesshomaru sighed at Jakotsu's behavior and then looked to Kagome, "We need to buy her an evening gown. There's a party tonight. Also, you think you can do her hair and make-up as well?"

"Well of course!" Jakotsu grabbed onto Kagome's wrist, which Sesshomaru had not thought about warning him before.

"WAIT!" Sesshomaru's eyes widened as Kagome was being pulled off. Kagome's reaction as usual was that of paranoia and jerked herself away from Jakotsu. She moved back into Sesshomaru and grabbed onto his shirt, tensing up as she clung to him, tears dropping down her cheeks.

"Did I do something wrong?" Jakotsu asked, shocked by Kagome's strange reaction.

"No, that one was my fault." Sesshomaru looked down to her and set a hand on her head. She flinched for a second, but then looked up to him, "Kagome, I'm sorry. I should have warned him." Kagome just nodded to him and then glanced back to Jakotsu. Sesshomaru felt guilty, but ignored it and looked up to Jakotsu, "She's got this thing about making physical contact with people. She doesn't like it, so rarely do people touch her."

"Oh dear. Sesshomaru, dear..." Jakotsu sighed and shook his head, "I don't understand how you are going to take her to tonight's party if she is afraid of people." Jakotsu glanced down to Kagome, and spoke kindly to her, "Honey, don't get me wrong... I don't mean to offend you, but I highly doubt that Sesshomaru wants you to be afraid the entire night. People at this party are going to be shaking hands, dancing, eating at tables right next to one another... Are you sure you can handle it?"

Sesshomaru looked away feeling stupid. He hadn't even thought about the dancing. That was probably going to be the biggest problem out of them all. Kagome saw the look on his face as he was thinking about everything Jakotsu said and then looked away. She took in a deep breath and reached out to Jakotsu, letting go of Sesshomaru's shirt. Sesshomaru at first did not see this, but Jakotsu smiled and took Kagome's hand. He slowly walked her to the back of the room, and then Sesshomaru noticed it as her body was pulled away from his. He watched, concerned for Kagome as she was taken to the back room. Right before she left his sights, she looked back to him and gave him an expressionless thumbs up. A short chuckle was heard from the man as he looked around at the dresses that were on the racks.

About thirty minutes passed by and Jakotsu came out excitedly. Sesshomaru was on the opposite side of the store and not paying too much attention. He was checking out a dark blue cocktail dress, and comparing it to a white one. He wasn't sure on her size, but he certainly wanted her to feel beautiful and enjoy the night. Jakotsu tapped him on the shoulder. Sesshomaru looked to see an awe struck Jakotsu who grabbed him by the arm and pulled him along. He forced him into the back room and pointed to Kagome who was just standing there, looking herself in the mirror. Sesshomaru's eyes widened, practically in awe at what he saw.

Kagome was in a form fitting black dress that went all the way to the floor. It certainly showed off every curve of her body, giving him a rather lovely image of her hourglass figure. The back was open, black strings crisscrossing along it. She wore black, silk gloves that went up to the middle of her upper arm. The front of the dress clung to her perfectly flat stomach, coming out at her chest to compliment perfectly rounded C cup breasts. To keep it conservative, most of her chest was covered, not showing any skin, except one shoulder.

"She looked amazing..." Jakotsu said and Kagome just barely looked up to see the look of amazement on Sesshomaru's eyes. She stared at him for a moment, seeing that he was literally checking out her entire body, from head to toe. Her make-up was subtle, keeping it soft to show off her clear skin. She had started taking better care of herself at the request of the man protecting her, so it was clearing up rather quickly. Her hair was pinned up, flattened, and only two strands hung from the sides. She was wearing a diamond necklace and earrings. "Sesshomaru?" Jakotsu raised an eyebrow at the dazed man and then hit him in the back, "HEY!" Sesshomaru blinked a couple of times and looked back to Jakotsu, who was motioning towards Kagome.

"You..." Sesshomaru looked back towards her and nodded, "You truly look amazing Kagome." Her eyes widened and her cheeks turned red. She was blushing and this time she knew it.

"Sesshomaru, your tux..." Jakotsu pointed to a dressing room, "It's in there." Sesshomaru nodded, taking one last glance at Kagome and then going towards the dressing room. "Hey, you can take a quick shower if you want... You obviously just came from practice, so you might want to..." Sesshomaru nodded, realizing that he was still in his practice clothes and went up the stairs towards the place he knew Jakotsu's shower to be with his tux. Jakotsu laughed and looked towards Kagome, "It seems you have our stoic prince's heart in the palm of your hand."

Kagome looked back to Jakotsu, tilting her head to the side. She didn't understand what he meant. She looked back to the mirror and rubbed her hands along the dress. Jakotsu stepped closer to her and smiled, looking over her shoulder.

"You truly do look lovely..." Jakotsu said, "And what I meant was... I've been hearing stories." Kagome turned to look at Jakotsu, wondering what he meant by 'stories'. "Nothing bad... It just seems that Inuyasha is happy for his brother. You know, before you... Sesshomaru never really talked to anyone. The most people got was a glare, groan, yes, or no. I'm glad you've brought him out of his shell, Kagome... Just don't hurt him..." Jakotsu walked away and left Kagome to her confused thoughts. It was strange to think about because Sesshomaru is the one that brought her out of her own shell, so how did she pull him out of his? The first day they met, he seemed to already be interested in her and gave her money for food, so what exactly did she do? She was starting to wonder how he was before the day they met.

She waited patiently for him. After about twenty minutes, he came walking down the stairs fully dressed in a wonderful black tux, white under shirt. His hair was brushed back beautifully, braided all the way down and held together by a rubber band that matched his hair to make it seem like nothing was holding it. Kagome was standing at the front of the store, sitting down on a small chair with her hands in her lap. He took another look at her, thinking that she looked absolutely lovely.

"Are you ready?" He walked up to her and asked. She looked up to him and blinked. She also checked him out, looking him up and down, but noticed that he was still messing with his tie. She stood up and tapped on his hands to push them away. She tied it correctly and tucked it under his tux jacket. "Thank you..." He nodded and smiled softly at her. "So, are you ready?" he said as a limo pulled up. She nodded and Kagome walked out of the shop. Sesshomaru handed Jakotsu the money for everything he did, giving him a rather large tip.

"You two have fun now." Jakotsu took the money and waved to them. Sesshomaru walked out behind Kagome and opened up the limo door. She blinked, not realizing that the car was for the two of them at first. She looked to him and he nodded to her. She stepped into the limo and scooted over to the other side. She saw Sesshomaru put a bag in the trunk and wondered what it was.

"Hey!" she jumped, pushing herself back into the cars seat. Kikyo smiled to her, sitting next to Inuyasha. "You look absolutely amazing Kagome. That dress, your hair. Hun, you look amazing."

Kagome blinked and looked down a bit, a small smile sneaking onto her lips. Inuyasha and Kikyo both noticed it and smiled to each other. That was the first time they saw anything but a blank stare or fear on her face. They were rather glad to see she was beginning to become slightly comfortable with them. Sesshomaru slipped into the car and closed the door.

"Nice job, Sesshomaru. You aren't looking too bad yourself." Inuyasha was also wearing a tux, but in Kagome's opinion did not look anywhere near as good as Sesshomaru. Kikyo looked lovely though. She wore a very dark blue dress that came down to her knees with a black sash around her waist with matching high heels.

Kagome seemed to be rather interested in the limo. Neon purple and blue lights shined back and forth above them. Everything was well maintained and polished. She looked above her head and saw a set of buttons. She reached up and pressed a random one, but nothing happened. She pushed a different one and the radio came on. She jumped at the ridiculously loud rock music came on, startling everyone in the limo. Sesshomaru quickly pushed the button to turn it off when he saw Kagome covering her ears. She blinked and then looked up and went to push another button.

"Kagome..." Sesshomaru said to stop her. She stopped and looked to him, "This... is my brothers limo, so... I don't believe it is safe to push random buttons." Kagome's eyes widened and she looked to Inuyasha as if to say 'what the hell could you do in this thing that is so bad'.

"We're almost there..." Kikyo said and everyone looked out the windows. Kagome's eyes widened and looked out the window. They were going up a mountain, trees surrounded them. Everything was green, something that she had not seen in a long time. Sesshomaru fought a smile and looked out the other window as they were being driven up to the house.

**END OF CHAPTER!**


	7. The Party

Chapter Seven: The Party

They arrived at the party to be greeted by multiple people. Their driver quickly jumped out of the car and hurried to the back door on Sesshomaru's side. The door was opened and Sesshomaru stepped out. Inuyasha soon followed his brother since Kagome seemed to get nervous rather quickly. She curled up a bit, pushing herself farther into the car. Kikyo noticed this and set a hand on Kagome's knee, causing her to jump.

"I know this is going to be something new and maybe a little uncomfortable for you..." Kikyo said in a sweet voice, trying to comfort her, "But please remember that Sango, Inuyasha, Miroku and myself will be here. You may not be one hundred percent comfortable with us either, but if you need us, don't hesitate to ask us for help. Also... Sesshomaru seems to really care about you. I know for a fact that he will be there for you too, but sometimes his father can pull him away for business... If and when that happens, just come to Sango or I. Even if you just use us as ways to stay away from others... it's okay, we understand." With that, Kikyo stepped out and gave Sango a hug.

Kagome thought to herself for a minute and took in a deep breath and found a new burst of determination. She was her to help Sesshomaru and she wasn't going to change her mind because of her fear of people. She slid over to the end of the limo and saw a hand being offered to her. She took it and was helped out of the limo. Sango was shocked.

"Kagome... Wow, you look great." Sango said, Miroku immediately agreeing with her. Kagome's hand tightened around Sesshomaru's and she stepped a bit closer to him. She turned away, her cheeks turning slightly red. "Come on... Let's go in." Sango and Miroku walked into the building, Inuyasha and Kikyo soon following. Sesshomaru watched Kagome and waited for her to be ready. She looked up to him and nodded, so they walked up the stairway and went in.

Kagome walked through a few hallways with Sesshomaru, around a couple corners and then came to two rather large doors. She looked around at everything, amazed by it all. Everything looked so expensive and classy. She got nervous when she turned into the ballroom and saw a large room, decorated with lights. There were tables all covered in table clothes, vases of flowers, and looked well organized. There was a decent sized dance floor on the opposite side of the room, music being played by a wonderful sounding orchestra. Sesshomaru looked to her and saw a look of excitement shoot across her eyes. This made him feel a bit more relaxed about the night, but that soon changed.

"What the hell are you doing here with her?" An annoyed voice that the two of them recognized. They looked to see Kagura all dressed in a dark red form fitting dress with stockings and matching heels. She stepped over to the both of them and Kagome hid behind Sesshomaru, "Out of everyone you could have come here with you pick the sl-"

"Kagura..." Naraku stepped up and gently grabbed Kagura's arm, "I highly doubt that it is a good idea to cause a scene right now, do you?" Kagura blinked a couple of times and pulled away from him.

"Let go!" Kagura said and he shook his head, glaring at Sesshomaru. Kagura looked back towards the two of them and glared, "Why would you bring the slut to a party like this? It's disgusting to even know that she is constantly with a guy like you, but to dishonor the reputation of your family like this is practically unheard of! Get that whore out o-" SLAP!

"I suggest... you shut your fucking mouth, Kagura." Kikyo had heard and watched what was going on between the two of them and decided it was about time to interfere. Everyone near them looked towards the group as Kagura touched her cheek in shock. "Look bitch... the only reason you are even caring about the fact that she is here is because of who she came with. Why don't you deal with the fact that Sesshomaru is not interested in your pathetic gossiping ass and leave her alone! You ever call her anything like that again, I'll kick your ass, got it?"

"Oh really? Bring it on bitch." Kagura narrowed her eyes at Kikyo and went to hit her, but Sango grabbed Kagura's wrist and pulled her backwards. Kagura lost her balance and fell backwards. Naraku caught her quickly and brought her back to her feet.

"If you think we aren't serious about telling you to back off of Kagome..." Sango said dusting her hands off and then looking to Kagura, "You are way wrong. Leave. Her. Alone." Kagura glared at them both and then regained her composure since everyone in the party was watching. She turned away and walked away from them, obviously embarrassed.

"You okay?" Sesshomaru had said nothing through out the entire ordeal. It seemed Sango and Kikyo had done that for them, which made him smirk. Kagome blinked as Kagura walked away and then looked up and Sesshomaru, nodding to him. "Good."

"Sesshomaru! So, is this the lovely young woman that was hiding from us earlier today?" InuTaisho walked up to his son from behind Kagome, startling her. InuTaisho set a hand on Kagome's shoulder and leaned down to talk to her since she was much shorter than her. He was the same height as Sesshomaru of course.

"Dad..." Inuyasha came out of nowhere and smacked his father's hand away from Kagome, "Don't touch her." Sesshomaru once again did not have to say anything. It seems everyone was beginning to get the idea when it comes to Kagome.

"Oh yeah... Sorry about that Kagome." InuTaisho bowed respectfully to her and she curtsied back, still clinging to Sesshomaru with one arm while she did it. "Please, enjoy the party. Dance, eat, and drink. If you need anything please ask." With that InuTaisho walked off and left them to each other. Sango and Miroku went to dance while Kikyo and Inuyasha went to get something to drink.

Kagome looked around to figure out what she wanted to do when she noticed two doors that lead to a balcony outside. She pointed to them and looked up to Sesshomaru. He looked to where she was pointing and nodded, leading her over to the doors. As they exited the ballroom, her eyes widened when she saw a large garden. It was lit up everywhere. She looked up to him and smiled rather widely at him. Sesshomaru felt his heart skip a beat when he saw it. He wanted nothing more than to pull her into a hug, but refrained from it. She sat down on a bench and closed her eyes when a cool breeze picked up and ran across her skin.

"I'm glad you came..." Sesshomaru said and she opened her eyes to look up at him. He sat down next to her and looked into the ballroom, watching people dance. "I'm usually alone or being attacked by those obsessed girls you mentioned before." Kagome sat up straight and reached out to him. He tensed for a second when her hand passed his face. She pressed an unruly hair behind his ear and then smiled to him, nodding.

"I'm' glad I came too." Her voice sounded sweet, "It's nice. What is this place?" She looked towards the ballroom and watched the people dance.

"It's... well..." He looked towards the ballroom as well and sighed, "It's my home."

"Your home?" Kagome looked to him in shock and was actually sort of confused. "I don't understand."

"What do you mean?" He asked her.

"Why..." She said, averting her gaze to the floor, "Why would you be with me all the time when you have a home like this to return to? This place is amazing. Your Father seems kind, even though he's made some mistakes in life... And Inuyasha's mother was really pretty when I saw her. Is she mean?"

"No. She is not." Sesshomaru told her.

"If she is nice, why be with me when you can be with them?" Kagome asked him sincerely. He looked at her and thought about it for a moment. She did not stop looking at him. She looked in straight into the eyes, really wanting to understand why.

"I enjoy your company." was all he said at first, causing her to gasp, "My Father is very business oriented and is rarely around. Inuyasha's mother get's sick rather easily, so she stays home and I don't really like being in this place too much. Inuyasha is usually hanging out with Kikyo, Sango, and Miroku, and at times they get a little to hyper for me... Your ability to keep calm is refreshing."

"Sesshomaru!" A young voice shouted towards him, causing Kagome to jump. The two of them looked to see a little girl running towards him. He sat up and opened his arms as the child ran into him and hugged him tightly. Kagome's eyes widened, pleasantly surprised by this. "I missed you so much... You haven't come and visit me in a long time..."

"Rin..." Sesshomaru looked down to her and the child looked up to her, "I'm sorry. I have been slightly busy. How are you, Shippo, and Jaken?"

"Jaken is grumpy as always and he doesn't let me go swimming anymore even though it's really hot outside! You should come and beat him up. He'll listen to you." Rin told him happily, causing Sesshomaru to chuckle slightly, "Shippo is okay I guess... He's been having nightmares about Mom and Dad being killed... I feel bad for him. You should come see him at the orphanage too!"

"I'll see if I can stop by soon, okay?" Sesshomaru said and then motioned to Kagome, "I want you to meet someone. This young lady is Kagome. She's a very nice lady."

"She's a really pretty lady is what I think you mean." Rin looked at Kagome and then back to Sesshomaru, smiling mischievously at him. Sesshomaru blinked at Rin's statement, the girl turning back to Kagome and holding out her hand. "Hi Kagome! I'm Rin. Sesshomaru's gonna be my Daddy one day!" Kagome didn't' hesitate at all to take the child's hand. She didn't shake, nor did she show any fear, but still she did not talk.

"Rin... She doesn't talk, okay?" Sesshomaru told her.

"Oh, okay. Well it's nice to meet you!" Rin said and then ran back into the ballroom. Sesshomaru gave a loving smile to the girl as she was running off. Kagome watched him, raising an eyebrow at his treatment of the child.

"Daddy?" Kagome said, snapping Sesshomaru out of his thoughts. He looked towards her and sighed, not sure on how to explain it.

"She's an orphan... I met her about a year ago." Sesshomaru explained and then leaned back against the bench, spreading his arms out along the back of it. "She and I got close. She's only five and she's gone through a lot of pain. Her brother Shippo watched their mother and father be killed by two burglars... They've been alone ever since. I always wonder how she is still able to smile."

"Because of you, obviously." Kagome raised an eyebrow at him, wondering how he wasn't able to tell, "She keeps smiling because she has hope. She feels that one day she and her brother are going to once again have a family and be happy."

"I see..." Sesshomaru felt his heart warm and stood up, "Kagome... will you share a dance with me?"

Kagome stood up and dusted the back of her dress off just in case. Looping her arm around Sesshomaru's she and him walked back into the ballroom and moved over to the dance floor. He wondered whether she knew how to dance or not, hoping that she had at least some knowledge. Once they found their spot, he took up her hand, placing his other around her waist. She placed her other hand on his shoulder and the two began to move gracefully along the dance floor.

"Look..." Kikyo tapped onto Inuyasha's shoulder and he turned towards where she was pointing to. Sango and Miroku also looked and they all watched with smiles as Sesshomaru and Kagome danced with one another. Inuyasha stood up and walked over to his Father and Mother.

"Mom.. Dad..." Inuyasha caught their attention and he pointed towards the two. The two turned to see what Inuyasha was talking about and couldn't help but watch. InuTaisho gave someone a signal and suddenly the lights dimmed, the music slowed, and an obviously romantic atmosphere had been created for the couple.

As the song continued and the lights were dimmed more and more people looked to see what everyone was staring at. Kagura and Naraku couldn't help but watch. Of course this angered Kagura and she turned and left the party. Naraku followed her rather annoyed and once they got a decent distance he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back to him. She tried jerking away from him, but he did not allow it.

"What the fuck is your problem, huh?" Naraku asked her seriously, "Why do you always have to flirt with that bastard all the fucking time? I am constantly here for you. I am the one who cares for you. He doesn't like you, so why do you keep going after him?"

"What does it matter to you?" Kagura glared at him and then looked away.

"What do you mean 'what does it matter to me'?" He tightened his grip on her and forced him to look at her, "How about the fact that the girl I care about keeps looking for love in a man that doesn't give a damn about her? Or how about the fact that no matter how much I try to show I care about you, you end up once again trying for him?"

"Oh whatever. Just leave me alone." Kagura pulled away from him and he let her go, "That bitch is going down anyway. He doesn't actually care about her. He's mine. He'll drop her like a rock soon enough."

"Well you can keep hoping for that." Naraku waved her off and walked away, "I'm done Kagura. You and I are over. I'm not dealing with this stupid bullshit any longer."

"What? YOU are breaking up with me?" Kagura looked at him as if he was crazy, "Sorry, but that doesn't work. I usually dump you and you come crawling back."

"Well I guess that shows that I'm serious this time, doesn't it?" Naraku said and continued walking back to the party. "Have fun walking home."

"Naraku...?" Kagura called out to him, but he ignored her and continued walking, "NARAKU!" She called out again, but was once again ignored. She looked around, mascara dripping down her cheeks as she began to cry. "God damn it..."

The song had finally ended and the two stopped dancing. Kagome jumped as the entire room seemed to start cheering for the both of them. Never before had Sesshomaru seemed so into a girl before. The fact that he danced publicly with her showed that he must have truly cared. Sesshomaru bowed and she curtsied to everyone. She grabbed onto the sleeve of his jacket, her body shaking in fear since everyone's eyes seemed to be on her. The lights went back to normal and Sesshomaru lead her off the dance floor. They were soon met by his Father and Izayoi, who gave Kagome loving smiles.

"I'm happy for you son." InuTaisho said rather sincerely. Sesshomaru stayed quiet since he could tell that his father had something to say, "I... Uh... I know you haven't had the best of lives. I could and should have done much better by you and I apologize for that. It seems that this beautiful young woman has been able to bring something out of you that no one else could." InuTaisho looked to Kagome at that moment and nodded to her, "And for that Kagome... I sincerely thank you. Please do right by my boy since I could not." With that, InuTaisho and Izayoi walked off leaving both Sesshomaru and Kagome slightly confused.

"Why are people acting like we're engaged or something?" Kagome asked and Sesshomaru just shook his head, not knowing exactly what to say.

"Kagome..." Sango and Kikyo walked up to them, "You two dance wonderfully together. Nice to see someone's got Sesshomaru right under their thumb." The girls giggled and walked off.

"Let's go." Sesshomaru quickly grabbed her and hurried away from the area. He did not wish to have to deal with any more comments like that. Once they got back to the balcony, Kagome walked over to some stairs, to look to see what was down there. She had not noticed them before. "It's the way down to the garden... Do you wish to go?" Kagome looked back to Sesshomaru and nodded, beginning to walk down the stairs.

"Oh, Sesshomaru!" A voice that only Sesshomaru recognized called out. He turned to see Kyra, one of the daughters of a client that his father worked with. Kyra moved quickly between Kagome and Sesshomaru by stepping down on the steps. She wrapped her arms around Sesshomaru's neck before he had a chance to back away from her.

"Let go." Sesshomaru told her, but she refused to.

"And why should I do that?" Kyra asked moving closer to him. "You haven't spent any time with me all night. You've been giving all of your attention to that... girl... over there." Kyra glanced back to Kagome and glared at her. Kagome just raised an eyebrow and sighed.

"Get off of me, please?" Sesshomaru tried asking nicely, but she shook her head again. He watched Kagome walk back up the stairs and into the ballroom. He reached out for her, but Kyra forced him to stay still, "Damn it Kyra. What are you doing?"

"I came all this way to see you, and you're just being mean." Kyra leaned into him and wrapped her arms around his waist, "Why don't you share a romantic dance with me? I've been to lots of these parties, and not once have you ever asked me to dance. Why is that bitch so special?"

"Refrain from calling her out of her name, Kyra." He demanded Kyra rather harshly, giving her an intense glare.

"Oh, I've heard about how obsessed you've gotten with your little pet." Kyra glared at him and pulled herself into him even more, "So how long until you move on? Everyone knows you're the type of guy to grab a girl, fuck her, and then leave her out to dry, so when is it going to happen with this one."

"What?" Sesshomaru glared fiercely at Kyra and grabbed onto her waist to push her away, but Kyra pushed herself onto her tiptoes to kiss him. He leaned back and away from her and at that moment water came splashing down all over her hair and dress. Sesshomaru quickly backed up and looked to see an expressionless Kagome watching as Kyra panicked and ran into the ballroom for her mother.

"Oh shit." Sesshomaru quickly grabbed Kagome and lead her rather quickly down the stairs. Once they hit the bottom, Kagome looked back to see guards coming out to her. "Let's go, Kagome." Sesshomaru pulled on her a bit and Kagome began to run with him, being lead through the garden until they came to a maze. The guards followed them, yelling 'stop' for a while, but they soon lost sight of them. Sesshomaru stopped running, having known his way through this maze since he was a child. Trying to catch her breath, Kagome set a hand on her chest. "That girl... Kyra would have you thrown out of here so fast if they caught you."

"But it's your home." Kagome questioned him.

"True, but she's the daughter of a major client for my father." Sesshomaru said trying to catch his breath, "He would have no choice but to agree to it, otherwise lose a major fund."

"Oh." was all Kagome said as she looked around the maze. She couldn't hear the guards anymore, meaning they must be far enough away that they could relax. "A maze..."

"Yeah... My Mother loved this garden. She and I used to run through here to try and find each other all the time. She knew the layout like the back of her hand, so she could find me easily when I got lost." He smiled as he sat down on the ground. Kagome sat down next to him, tucking her legs together and off to the side. "Of course now... I know the layout probably better than anyone."

"Don't leave me out to dry..." Kagome said sadly, turning her head away from him. Sesshomaru's eyes widened slightly, shocked at the statement. He was about to speak, but she continued, "I don't want to go back to being alone again."

"Kagome... Ignore Kyra." Sesshomaru set a hand on her shoulder and she looked back up to him, "She is another one of those boy obsessed girls. That crap about me getting with a girl and then just leaving her suddenly is rumor, all rumor, okay?"

"Like me..." Kagome said to him.

"Yeah... Like the rumors about you. I've... never even been with a girl before." Sesshomaru said rather seriously, but looked away from her feeling slightly embarrassed.

"That's nice." Kagome said, shocking him. "You're not bad like other guys then. Many guys decide to get with a girl at young ages, and end up regretting it. I'm glad you have not done that."

"We probably should get back. It's getting late, and I don't think you want to get home too late, right?" He pulled out his cell phone and put it back after checking the time, "It's already going on eleven."

"That late?" Kagome stood up and dusted herself off. "I do need to go home, then..."

"Why go home, now?" Inuyasha stepped into the area, "Just stay the night. It's not like we don't have a thousand guest rooms. Either that or you can cuddle into a bed with Sesshomaru." Inuyasha said, teasing his brother.

"Inuy-" Sesshomaru went to punch him, but heard Kagome say something that shocked him.

"I can do that." Kagome thought about it and then nodded, "Yeah... I can."

"Whoa..." Inuyasha's jaw dropped and his eyes went wide, "You... can talk?" Kagome blinked a couple times and nodded, hiding behind Sesshomaru shyly. "Dude, Sesshomaru! She can talk!"

"I know." Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow.

"And you didn't tell any of us?" Inuyasha seemed excited and peeked around Sesshomaru's back, "Hey, can you say something again." Kagome shook her head and stuck her tongue out at Inuyasha. "I'm telling everyone!" Inuyasha ran off. Sesshomaru went to grab him, but missed.

"It's okay. I never told people I couldn't talk..." Kagome explained and smiled to Sesshomaru, "I just didn't want to talk to anyone, so if they know I have the ability to, it's fine. You're the only one I am really gonna talk to."

"Okay..." Sesshomaru smiled and the two of them walked out of the maze, being lead back through the garden, up the stairs, and back into the ballroom. A lot of people were gone, probably because of Kyra's freak out. Inuyasha was talking to Sango, Kikyo, Miroku, and Naraku, and seemed rather excited. The group looked to Kagome and Sesshomaru as they entered the ballroom and ran over to them.

"Kagome, is it true you can talk?" Sango asked with excitement. Kagome jumped behind Sesshomaru, startled by the sudden intrusion of personal space and then just stared at them.

"She can! She so can. I am not lying." Inuyasha said.

"I thought she was mute?" Naraku said, alerting Kagome of his presence. Kagome looked to him, the look in her eyes changing from normal to seriousness. She stared coldly at Naraku, which caught everyone's eye. Sesshomaru felt her lean closer into him and grab onto his tux again. "Don't worry..." Naraku told her, sighing, "I am not an idiot. I don't dare go near you ever again, especially in that manner."

"In what manner?" Kikyo glared at Naraku and Kagome shook her head wildly.

"It's in the past." Sesshomaru said and looked back to Kagome, "Now let me show you to your room, okay?" Kagome nodded to him and began following him through the house until they came to a long hallway.

**END OF CHAPTER!**


	8. A Night Of Terror

Chapter Eight: A Night Of Terror

Kagome was taken to an extremely large room that was decorated from top to bottom with designer furniture, trimmings, and accessories. It was obvious that the Takahashi family was rather wealthy and that they kept themselves up to date with the latest fashion. She looked around in awe as Sesshomaru took her over to the bathroom. He turned on the light and she looked inside. She was greeted by a deep jet bathtub along with a separate shower. She went over and looked at it, a rather pleased smile on her face.

"You can use it of course..." Sesshomaru told her and then pointed to a closet at the end of the bathroom, "That's also got some robes for you to wear. We don't have anything for you to sleep in unfortunately, but I can ask Izayoi if you can borrow something from her."

"No. This is great." Kagome shook her head and looked back to him, "I'm happy with this. It's been a long time since I was able to take a nice bath..."

"Well just make sure you enjoy it." Sesshomaru said smiling to her, "If you need anything, I am down the hall, turn right, and the first door on your left, okay?" Kagome nodded and he turned to leave, "Sleep well, Kagome."

She followed him to the door and watched him walk down the hallway. He turned down another hallway, glancing back to her a last time, only to see her wave to him. She went back into the room, closing the door behind her. She looked around excitedly and ran over to the bed, kicking her heels off, and jumping into it. The blankets were soft, the pillows were fluffy, and she didn't know whether she had ever felt so comfortable in her life. Remembering the bath, she stood up and walked over to it. She looked at it and turned the water on, watching it come through multiple spouts. Placing a plug into the drain, she waited for it to fill.

She stood up straight and pulled the dress off her shoulders, allowing it to fall to the floor at her feet. She kicked it off to the side and looked to a mirror, only to be slightly disappointed. The body and skin that she was once so proud of was scathed. A large scar went diagonally from her upper back all the way down to her lower waist, curving around towards the front and stopping before hitting her stomach. She lowered her head and sighed. Quickly pushing the thoughts off, she saw that the bath had filled rather quickly. She stuck her finger in and it was warm. Excitement filled her eyes as she removed her bra and underwear, stepping inside of the bath.

She slid all the way down into the water and soaked for a while. Once she decided to actually wash herself, she used some of the clothes and soap that were already laid out. Taking some shampoo, she massaged it into her hair and scalp, then rinsed it off. Once she was done with that, about an hour had passed and she was clean enough to get out. She pulled the plug on the tub, allowing the water to drain out and then stood up. She stepped out of the bath and reached out for a towel that was hanging from a loop on the wall.

As she was reaching out, thunder and lightning struck, startling her. Her heart jumped and she lost her balance. The water on her feet didn't work well with the slick tile and she fell forwards. She hit her head right on the spot she had hit before when the teacher had startled her in class. Although it didn't bleed this time, it hurt a lot. Thunder hit again, and she jumped. Unwanted memories were brought up in her mind once more and she grabbed onto her head. Again, thunder struck. She whimpered quietly, trying to block out the sounds, but it didn't work. She heard the rain begin to crash down on the roof above, and again thunder struck.

"Stop it..." she cried out, knowing that no one could hear her. When the thunder crashed again, she slapped her hand over her mouth to prevent herself from screaming. "Stop it, stop it, stop it! No more, no more! Please! Stop!" She shook her head, tears dropping down her cheeks. Thunder crashed once more and she jumped to her feet and wrapped herself in a robe. She ran out of the room and looked around, only to see InuTaisho and Izayoi standing there, looking at her with worried looks.

"Kagome..." Izayoi reached out to her, but Kagome just stepped back. Kagome tripped over her own feet and fell to the ground. Thunder crashed and she grabbed her head again, biting her bottom lip, and letting out a horrified whimper. "Hun, are you okay? Baby, get Sesshomaru... Go. Hurry!"

"Alright!" InuTaisho ran off towards his sons room, passing by Kagome. Thunder crashed again, and Kagome let out a rather loud scream as the lights went out and came back on. Everyone woke up an ran out of their rooms. InuTaisho was about to slam his fist into Sesshomaru's door, but he had already jumped from bed and ran towards the door.

"What's wrong?" Sesshomaru ran down the hall with his father and towards Kagome. Inuyasha, Kikyo, Sango, and Miroku had all come out of their rooms, but were keeping their distance from Kagome. They were slightly afraid of the way she was acting, having never seen it before.

"We don't know! She's freaking out!" Inuyasha said as Sesshomaru dropped down to his knees to see if Kagome was okay. He lowered his head to look into her eyes since she wasn't moving. Thunder crashed once more and the lights went out again, but this time did not come back on. Kagome screamed again, no one being able to see anything. She felt someone grab her shoulder and pulled away.

"NO!" She screamed and stood up running off into a random direction. She bumped into InuTaisho and he grabbed onto her. She screamed at the top of her lungs, once again thunder clashing.

InuTaisho wrapped his arms around her and tried to keep her still, but she kept kicking crazily. He forcibly turned her to where her back was to his chest and once again tried to hold her still. The lights came on and everyone looked at Kagome with fear in their eyes, Sesshomaru and Izayoi with concern. Sesshomaru moved over to grab onto her legs while she was thrashing around, only to be kicked in the side of the head. Ignoring the slight pain he now felt in his head, he got more aggressive and wrapped his arms around her legs.

"STOP IT!" Kagome screamed in terror, her eyes widening as she felt her body being restrained. Thunder clashed once more and another shriek was let out to echo through the halls.

"Kagome! Calm down!" Sesshomaru pleaded with her, but she went on screaming. In one last burst of strength, Kagome kicked Sesshomaru in the chest and back away from him. He fell to the floor and jumped back to his feet, no longer sure on how to help her. His father was holding onto her for dear life at this point. Kagome continued to kick and struggle against the hold until she felt her heart jump and she calmed down. She threw her head back, her body being lifted from the ground, screaming one last time. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and her body went limp. She passed out.

"What... the fuck was that about?" Miroku asked, holding on to a terrified Sango. Kikyo was hiding behind Inuyasha, both the girls crying for Kagome. Sesshomaru just stared at her with wide eyes, not sure how to react or what to say.

"Call the doctor..." InuTaisho set Kagome down on the floor and fell to one knee. He took in air, trying to catch his breath as everything seemed to calm. Izayoi went to the nearest phone immediately and called for their private physician. Within five minutes the doctor arrived. He was an on sight doctor and had his own little apartment on the property.

"What's the matter?" He ran over to them and knelt down next to Kagome. He checked her vitals and quickly realized her blood pressure was through the roof. The girl was sweating, breathing heavy, and had a slight fever. They picked her up and took her into the room to be examined further, everyone except InuTaisho and Izayoi being told to wait outside. After about thirty minutes they all came out, shutting the door behind them. "I've done what I can... From what her own doctor says, it's really all a mental state. Let her rest."

"Wait... Wait..." Inuyasha stepped over to the doctor and pointed towards Kagome's door, "What, is the girl crazy or something?" The doctor looked to InuTaisho and then shook his head. "Oh, come on! Doc, you have to give us something. We're all worried sick about that girl... At least tell Sesshomaru what is fucking going on with her!"

"Son..." InuTaisho said setting a hand on Inuyasha's shoulder. "It isn't something that we should tell you without Kagome's knowledge... We will say that she isn't crazy, okay?"

"Yeah... She's a lovely girl, but..." Izayoi covered her mouth, tears falling down her cheeks, "That poor thing has gone through so much. Sesshomaru, has she told you nothing about her past?" Everyone looked to Sesshomaru who looked sick himself. He was so worried that he had broken out into a sweat, his hair was messy due to constant running his fingers through it. He shook his head. She had told him nothing about her past.

"I must take my leave..." the doctor bowed to them all and left. Sesshomaru stood up and walked into Kagome's room without any other word. He walked over to her and stared down at her. The only thing that was on his mind was to figure out what must have happened to her to cause her to behave in such a manner.

"Sess... We're gonna go to bed, okay? We're sorry about whatever scared her..." Inuyasha told his brother, then closed the door behind him.

The rain was still falling, although the main part of the storm seemed to have calmed down. Sesshomaru was not able to sleep, nor did he even feel tired. He did not want to leave her side. He had dragged a chair over to the side of her bed and waited for her to wake up. When he saw her eyes open, he became more alert. He thought she might jump back into the fit she had, so he was on guard. She turned her head to look at him and just stared. He looked back to her and then stood up, slowly walking towards her. He watched her for a moment and she just blinked up at him, wondering why he was staring.

"Are you okay?" Kagome asked him softly and he let out a relieved sigh. She sat up in the bed and looked up to him. He just slowly sat down next to her and leaned forward until his forehead rested on her shoulder. She looked down to him and tensed suddenly. She remembered what had happened. She freaked out after taking a bath. "I'm... sorry..."

"I don't think... that I have ever been so frightened in my life." Sesshomaru told her, struggling to take in a breath and speak normally. Kagome gasped and he continued. "I didn't know what to do. I didn't understand why you were so scared, or why you were screaming. I had no ability to help you. In the end you passed out and we had to call the doctor. He told us you'd be fine, and said nothing about what made you act like that."

"I was running to you." Kagome said and he sat up. She just looked at him, wanting to make him feel better, and laid back down on her back, "I... got scared. I don't like loud noises. I don't bangs. I can't stand it when people are yelling. I was trying to get to you when InuTaisho and Izayoi startled me."

"Were they yelling or something?" Sesshomaru asked her and she shook her head no.

"The thunder..." She closed her eyes, feeling embarrassed at the fact that she was afraid of storms, "It was... so loud. I tried to block it out, but... I couldn't." She began to cry, tears dropping down her cheeks, "In the city, it is a lot easier to block out sounds like that because of the noises cars, people, and planes make... I also usually have a CD player with me..."

"Kagome, why do sounds like that scare you?" Sesshomaru asked and saw her tense up. "Tell me..."

"I don't like talking about i-..." She opened her eyes to look at him and realized he was seriously concerned for her well being. "I really did scare you... didn't I?" She asked and he nodded. She took in a deep breath and turned away from him, rolling onto her side. "The day I was born... My Father and Mother dumped me off in a dumpster because they didn't want another kid."

"What?" Sesshomaru was in shock.

"I... hate... talking about this." Kagome curled up in the fetal position and tensed her body up. She could already feel the tears coming. "A... couple found me, adopted me, and for thirteen years I was a normal happy child. I had no clue that for three of those years the people I knew as my Mom and Dad were fighting a losing battle..."

"What do you mean?" Sesshomaru set a hand on her shoulder and turned her to him. She turned to lay on her back and looked up to him.

"A custody battle over me." She said and closed her eyes to keep herself calm, "They were fighting to keep me when my biological parents decided that they wanted me back. Blood tests proved me to be their child and they won, so I was taken away. The judge seemed to dismiss the fact that they had dropped me off in a dumpster and didn't claim me when it came out on the news. It was right before my fourteen birthday that they placed me in the house with my blood Father, Mother, and Sister. It was the most horrible place I had ever been..."

"Kagome... Tell me what happened." Sesshomaru asked her rather seriously.

"He beat mom..." She told him rather bluntly. "Every single night for two years, all you could hear from that damn house was yelling, screaming, banging around, things breaking... I hated it..." Kagome began to choke on her own words as she began to cry. She tried to hold the tears back, but she couldn't. "She killed herself. I walked into the room right when she took the gun and pulled the trigger. I froze. I couldn't do anything. I freaked out at all of the blood. Then I screamed." Kagome turned back towards him and reached out for Sesshomaru's pant leg, clenching her hands around it.

"Continue..." He set his hand onto hers.

"The day of the funeral, Dad came home drunk. I was up stairs in my room and I could hear him yelling for me. I went out into the hall to see what he wanted, but Saya... She told me to go back into my room." Kagome said.

"Was Saya your sister?" Sesshomaru asked and Kagome nodded.

"Older sister... by four years." Kagome told him and Sesshomaru held her hand tighter, "I was about to return to my room, but Dad grabbed me and threw me onto his bed. I screamed out and he..."

"Your Dad... he's the one who tried to rape you? Did he succeed?" Sesshomaru asked her, realizing he had asked that question once before, but never got an answer.

"No..." Kagome shook her head, "Saya came into the room and hit him on the side of the head with a bat. He fell and she told me to run... I did. I only remember getting to the kitchen and grabbing a knife. The moment I did, I saw Saya's body be thrown from the upstairs balcony. She hit that glass table... the one sitting next to the couches. I went over to her, but she didn't move... She.. she didn't move. I-... The blood... it was... glass and he yelled... my fault..." She took in a deep breath and raised her hands to her head, her eyes widening as if she were having flashbacks of that night.

"Kagome... Stop, stop. It's okay." Sesshomaru pulled her into his arms and held her tightly. She tensed up and he looked down to her. She placed her hands against his chest and began pushing him away, but he wouldn't let go. "Kagome... don't make me let go..." Kagome's eyes calmed and she just sat there, allowing him to hold her since it's what he wanted. He wouldn't of minded it if she had held him back, but he knew at this point she would not.

"Please... Don't tell anyone... okay?" Kagome asked him.

"Of course I won't... Everything you have told me, will stay with me, okay?" Sesshomaru loosened his grip on her and then stood up, "Thank you for telling me something about you... It's nice to know something, even if that something wasn't a good situation... You should get some sleep..."

"Don't..." Kagome crawled to the edge of the bed and grabbed his wrist. He looked back to her and tensed up himself. His eyes widened and then he quickly changed his gaze. Kagome had only been wearing a robe and when she bent over in that manner, it had slipped open.

"Kagome... Um, your.. Your robe." Sesshomaru covered his eyes, even though he was looking the opposite direction. She looked down to see her chest was bare and quickly covered it up. Her cheeks turned red and she sighed. At the moment she really didn't care.

"Don't leave me alone tonight. Stay here... with me." Kagome asked him. Sesshomaru turned back towards her with wide eyes. She looked to the blankets and pushed them down to where he could get in bed as well. Sesshomaru's eyes widened even more as she scooted over.

"Are you sure?" He asked and Kagome nodded. He took in a nervous breath and slid into the bed with her. She smiled kindly to him and threw some blankets over his body. She laid down and he soon followed suit, both of them laying down on their backs and looking towards each other, soon to fall asleep in the same bed.

"Goodnight."

**END OF CHAPTER!**

**REVIEW PLEASE!**


	9. Early Morning Risers

Chapter Nine: Early Morning Risers

Kagome awoke rather early to find her self cuddling up against Sesshomaru. She was laying on top of his arm, which was wrapped around her waist with her head on his chest. Startled by such a physical interaction, she jumped back, lost her balance and fell backwards off the bed. Landing rather softly on the floor, she quickly peeked her head over the bed to see if she woke up him. Realizing she did not, she let out a relieved sigh and stood up. Feeling a little cold, she looked down and shut the robe that she was wearing. Her cheeks turned red as she glanced over to Sesshomaru to once again make sure he was not awake. His eyes were still closed, so she assumed he was not.

She walked over to a very large window that reached all the way up the top of the twenty foot ceilings. Setting a hand on the glass she leaned forwards slightly and looked down into the garden. A small smile formed on her face when she saw Izayoi and InuTaisho walking around, talking happily with one another. She watched them for a moment and then turned away to walk back over to the bed, but was startled when she bumped into Sesshomaru's bare, well toned chest. Her head snapped up to look at him and he was giving her a rather dirty look. She could almost see a dark shadow forming around his entire body, causing her to back into the window. A look of horror was in her eyes and this confused Sesshomaru, so he looked over towards a mirror and smacked himself in the forehead.

"Eh... I hate mornings." He said, rubbing his eyes and shaking his head to wake himself up. "Sorry Kagome... I'm not the nicest early morning riser..." He took a step back from her and stretched his back by bending backwards. He stepped back over to the bed and plopped down. Sitting there slouched over and using his hand to cover his face, he yawned.

Kagome glanced over to a digital clock to see that it was only six in the morning. She doubted highly that he woke up before ten on the weekends, so this was probably rather new for even him. For some reason she found this funny. She placed a hand over her mouth and fought rather hard to gain control of her laughter, but ended up letting out a small, very sweet sounding giggle. Not knowing exactly what it was, Sesshomaru peeked through his fingers to look at her. When he saw that she was laughing, he sat up straight with wide eyes, hoping she'd do it again.

"Kagome..." Sesshomaru stood up and walked over to her. She immediately changed her demeanor back to normal and looked up at him with a blank face. "... Did you just laugh?" Kagome blinked a few times and then smiled innocently, shaking her head no. "Yes, you did... I saw you AND heard you. You laughed, didn't you?" Kagome smiled up to him. She wasn't going to admit it. She found that this way of teasing him was rather fun, since he seemed so interested. Sesshomaru quickly realized she wasn't going to admit it and couldn't help but smile.

"I like it when you smile." Kagome told him without really any emotion behind it. He had learned a while back that if she said something in such a manner, she was usually rather serious.

"I like it when you smile as well." Sesshomaru stared down at her and she stared back, neither of them breaking eye contact for a good ten seconds. "So, what would you like to do today?" At that moment, he heard her stomach growl and she set her hands on it, slightly embarrassed. "Breakfast sounds good. I am hungry, what about you?" He purposely acted like he did not hear it, but Kagome truly thought he did not and went along with it. She nodded and the two of them began to head out towards the hall, but then stopped. "You need something to wear..." She looked around a picked up the dress from the night before and he shook his head, "How about something a bit more casual? I'll be right back."

Kagome went to sit on the bed while he was off getting something for her to wear. He walked down the hallway and came to a room. Stepping inside, he hesitated for a moment. Gripping the handle rather tightly, he slowly pushed the door open. It was a room he had not been in for years. He stepped inside and looked around, his own memories coming back to him. It was his mother's room. He walked over to the closet and opened it up. Searching through a few of the clothes, he found a dress that he used to love on his mom. A nice white spring dress with a light pink trimming and a thin matching sash to tie around the waist.

"Mom..." Sesshomaru smiled allowing a single tear to drop down his cheek. He took the dress and closed the closet. Taking a final glance around the room, he realized that it was rather clean for a abandoned room in the house. Apparently his father had this room cleaned, the clothes and blankets washed, and the floors vacuumed once every three months, but Sesshomaru never thought he actually did since he never saw anyone come in and out. Sesshomaru left the room and closed the door behind him, making his way back down the hall towards Kagome's room.

"How is she?" Kikyo and Sango exited a room when they heard Sesshomaru passing by. He stopped and looked at the two of them.

"She's fine. We'll be eating breakfast soon." was all he said and he continued back to her room. He opened the door and walked back in. He looked over to Kagome and was stopped in his tracks. He stared at her, dumbfounded. He blinked and stared more. "What... are you doing?" Kagome had grabbed every single blanket off of the bed and wrapped it around her entire body and over her head, making her look rather large. The only thing he could see what her eyes.

"They're fluffy..." she said in a rather emotionless tone. She looked over to him and blinked a couple times. In her mind there was nothing wrong or strange about this. It was fun. She liked the fucking blankets, so leave her alone!

_'That has to be the cutest fucking thing I've ever seen.' _Sesshomaru thought to himself as he walked over to her. To look up to him she had to tilt her entire body back, so the blankets moved with her. He truly couldn't help but chuckle. "Here..." He held out the dress to show her and she popped out of the blankets like a child. She looked at it with bright eyes and took it, running over to the mirror. She hopped up and down excitedly as she held it up in front of her body. _'It seems she is becoming more open and carefree around me. I'm glad...'_

Without even thinking, she ripped off the robe and began to change. Sesshomaru of course immediately and without a second thought turned away before he saw anything at all, but the idea of a naked girl being right behind him still made him blush.

_'Okay... Maybe a little TOO carefree...' _He shook his head and waited for her to change.

After a few moments, she walked over to him and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned to look at her and was rather impressed. She looked rather cute in his mothers dress.

"I like it." Kagome said with a smile and twirled around in it.

"That's good... You look lovely in it." Sesshomaru told her and she stopped twirling, smiling up to him.

"Can I hug you?" she asked him without any hesitation. He wasn't expecting it at all. Kagome didn't wait for an answer though. In her opinion, he took too long, so she ran into him. Swinging her arms around his back, she pulled herself into him. She laid her head on his chest. This startled him slightly, but he soon accepted the hug and returned it by wrapping his arms around her petite figure and holding her close to him, "I am glad I have you, Sesshomaru. No one has been there for me in a long time. I hope we can stay this way."

"I do too..." Sesshomaru felt something right then. He did not know what it was. It had been way to long since he had felt anything like it. When she released him and looked up to him smiling again, he couldn't help but kiss her forehead. Kagome froze. It was just a quick kiss. "Let's go eat." He turned away from her and began walking out of the room. She stood still for a minute and then followed him. She stared at him rather confused, but said nothing.

Their journey to the dining room was a lot longer than Kagome had anticipated. She did not get tired or anything like it, but never before had she been in such a large home. Paintings hug on the walls, chandeliers lit up the larger rooms, while a seemingly never ending rug covered the wood floors through out the entire home. As they made it to the dining room, Sesshomaru opened the door for her and she stepped inside. Everyone else was already there. They all looked up at the same time and InuTaisho was immediately caught of guard. He dropped his fork mid bite and stood up, making his way over to Kagome and Sesshomaru.

"Son..." InuTaisho looked down to Kagome and examined the dress she was wearing. Confused by InuTaisho's actions, Kagome moved behind Sesshomaru and hid slightly. "Sesshomaru... isn't that your mother's dress?" Everyone's attention was drawn towards Kagome and what she was wearing now. It truly was Lady Takahashi's dress.

"Yes." Sesshomaru said and looked back to Kagome, "She looks lovely in it, doesn't she?"

The room was silent for a few moments, InuTaisho once again looking to the confused and rather shocked Kagome as she hid behind his son. Soon it was accepted and InuTaisho smiled softly towards the girl.

"You're certainly right..." He said to his son and nodded to Kagome with a softened look, "You look absolutely wonderful in that dress Kagome. It's been a while since anyone in this family has seen it."

"Thank you..." Kagome mumbled softly under her breath as her shyness took over. She buried her face into Sesshomaru's back as her cheeks turned a light pink.

"Whoa, she talked again." Inuyasha spoke up and Kagome covered her mouth. "I told you she could!"

"Finally!" Kikyo began to laugh a little, "Kagome, do you have any idea how much we have been wanting to hear your voice! Most of us thought you were mute."

"Yeah, I have to agree." Miroku and everyone looked towards her with sincere smiles as she continued to hide behind Sesshomaru.

"Kagome..." Izayoi stood up and pulled back a chair, "Would you please join us for breakfast?" Kagome nodded and moved over to the chair that was pulled out for her. She looked over to Sesshomaru who went to sit in the chair next to her. There was already a plate set out for her. Her eyes widened and everyone could almost see stars shine in them when she looked at the meal before her.

She didn't know what she wanted to eat first! The waffles, pancakes, eggs, an omelet, toast, or the muffins. It was something she had not seen in such a long time. Her stomach growled rather loudly, everyone at the table being able to hear it. A look of embarrassment came on her face as her cheeks turned red. Sesshomaru was also one that couldn't help but giggle at her. When he did, she shot a 'what are you laughing at' glare towards him and he quickly stopped. Of course this caused everyone else to laugh even more. Kagome brushed it off and began to eat, trying a small amount of everything.

"So... Kagome." InuTaisho called out to her and she looked up to him while nibbling on a bit of toast. "Can I ask where you are from?" Swallowing her food, she looked down to her plate with sorrow.

"Japan..." she decided that was going to be her answer.

"Oh... Well I know you're from Japan, dear. I meant..." InuTaisho was quickly cut off by his son when Sesshomaru set a fork down and swallowed his last bite.

"She does not like talking about her past." He told them all, "I am sure she would prefer it if we left that off the list of things to talk about."

"I see..." InuTaisho glared at his son and sat back in his chair.

"Kagome, is there anything you would like to tell us?" Izayoi eased the tension by allowing Kagome to choose a topic, "You see.. everyone at this table has known each other for such a long time. Even though we don't know you as well as we know each other, we would all like to know a little something... Is that okay?" Izayoi was rather sincere with Kagome, talking kindly towards her to give her a sense of comfort. Kagome thought for a minute and leaned back in her chair sighing.

"I'm sorry for last night." she spoke out and looked down in shame, "I did not mean to upset or frighten any of you. The thunder last night was startling to me and for a while now I have had a problem with loud sounds... From yelling to loud music... I can't handle it. So... I'm sorry."

"Kagome..." Sango looked towards the girl with concern, "You know that it's fine, right? It may have been shocking to us, but as long as you are okay we're happy."

"Sango's right. You being fine is what mattered most to us." Kikyo nodded in agreement, reassuring Kagome that everything was fine.

"Yeah... You also got one hell of a kick in on Sesshomaru..." Inuyasha said not thinking clearly, "That was awesome. Never seen someone lay his ass out lik-" BANG! Miroku's fist slammed into the side of Inuyasha's jaw rather harshly, causing him to fall out of his chair.

"You idiot!" Sango yelled as Inuyasha got up rubbing his newly bruised face.

"What did I do!" Inuyasha yelled and they all motioned towards Kagome. She was looking up to Sesshomaru with wide eyes and wasn't moving. Sesshomaru turned his head to look at her and waited to see what her reaction was going to be. At first she seemed to be examining him. She caught sight of a bruise on the side of his face and felt her stomach turn. She then noticed another on his chest and closed her eyes as if she were disgusted in herself.

"Did I cause both of those?" She asked as she pointed to each of them. Sesshomaru said nothing, which was answer enough. Kagome lowered her head and went quiet.

"Damn it, Inuyasha..." Miroku sighed as everyone turned towards him and gave an evil glare that caused the hairs on the back of his neck to stand.

"I'm sorry! I didn't know!" Inuyasha felt guilty as he looked towards Kagome and Sesshomaru.

"It's fine Inuyasha..." Sesshomaru said and then looked towards Kagome as well. "Through that little experience, I figured out something I wish to do. I'm quite glad it happened. There is something I wish to teach you, Kagome." He stood up. Kagome looked up to him with regret, but he just raised an eyebrow. "Will you come with me?" She nodded, still keeping quiet. Standing up and bowing respectfully to InuTaisho and Izayoi, she went to follow Sesshomaru to where he was leading her. The two of them ended up outside and at the entrance to a large building that reminded her slightly of the school gym. He lead her inside and she looked around. It was a large empty room with wooden floors.

"What is this place?" Kagome asked him with a raspy voice. Sesshomaru noticed this and looked over to her. He set a hand under her chin and made her look up to him. Her face was wet. She was crying.

"Stop crying. It doesn't even hurt and it was an accident." He said letting go of her chin and then looking around the room, "This place is used for multiple things. Sometimes storage or small parties, but it's main purpose has always been to train. I want to teach you to defend yourself Kagome. Then those thugs can't hurt you, and you will also not be so afraid of the people around you."

"I... I can't." Kagome backed up and shook her head.

"What? Why?" Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow at her, sliding his hands into the pockets of his pants.

"I'm scared. I don't want to fight anyone." She shook her head rapidly and turned to walk away from him, but was quickly grabbed and pulled back. For a single moment she felt herself panic, but quickly pushed it off, not wanting him to think she didn't trust him. Her back was up against his chest. She looked straight up towards him while he looked down to her, his hair falling over her face.

"I don't want to see you get hurt." He told her sincerely. "Kagome, I can't be around every single day of your life. There are going to be times where you will be alone and I want you to feel as if you could protect yourself when you are. You don't have to be scared anymore, and giving you a sense of security in your own strength with help that."

"... You aren't going to leave me, are you?" Kagome asked him, not sure what he meant by he wasn't going to be around every day.

"No. I told you before I was not." Sesshomaru released her and she just turned around.

"Good. You leave me, I'll kill you." Kagome said rather bluntly and with a straight face.

"Huh?" Sesshomaru blinked a few times, "Wait, what do you mean by that?"

"If you leave me, I will kill you." She repeated it, her tone not changing at all.

"Kagome, that isn't cool. You sound way too serious." Sesshomaru looked at her hoping she was joking. He was slightly relieved when she smiled slightly, but that wasn't enough. "Kagome, you are joking about killing me, right?"

"Did it sound like I was joking?" Kagome said and he shook his head, "Then there is your answer. I was not joking, Sesshomaru." She tilted her head to the side, still keeping the same serious tone that she had before. He stared at her taken aback by her words, but then a large smile moved onto her lips. She giggled slightly and shook her head, "It's fun teasing you. I wouldn't kill you. You should know that. I like you too much."

"Oh... Okay, we-.. What?" Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow at her. _'She likes me too much? What is that supposed to mean?' _ He watched her look around the dojo for a minute and then sighed, "Well Kagome... Is there a day you would like to get started on your training?"

"After we go see that little girl." Kagome told him and he looked off, trying to think what she was talking about, "You know... The one who says you are going to be her Dad. If we go and see her, then I will agree to training with you."

"I can do that." Sesshomaru nodded to her and the two began walking out of the dojo.

"Oh... And Sesshomaru." Kagome looked up to him and he down to her, "You're only wearing your pants, no shoes, and your zipper is down." Sesshomaru stopped and looked down to his pants.

"It's.. not down?" Sesshomaru looked back up to see that she had run off. "Someones... playful?" He shook his head, slightly confused by her behavior and ran after her, bending to her will.

**END OF CHAPTER**

**PLEASE REVIEW! **


	10. Fault

Chapter Ten: Fault

It's been a little under a month since the party at Sesshomaru's house. Kagome had truly enjoyed herself, even if she was with people that she didn't feel comfortable around. It was an amazing night for her, despite her panic attack. School of course was not changing too much. People still talked, but not as much as they used to. It seemed the gossip was calming down and people were leaving her alone. It also helped that any time someone decided to say something negative, either Sango, Kikyo, Miroku, Inuyasha, or Sesshomaru would come to her defense. She had even heard small rumors that Naraku and Bankotsu were telling people to back off as well, which only shocked her.

It was the end of another school day, another Friday, and spring break was here! She was passing every one of her classes and homework had become a slight bother, so a small vacation wouldn't be too bad for her. The next three weeks were all hers, but what would she do? She over heard Inuyasha talking about a plan to go to the beach, but wasn't sure if she wanted to go or not. The beach would mean bikini wearing women and half naked men. Did she want to be around that? She was going to ask Sesshomaru about it.

The sun was beginning to come down and she was heading to his soccer practice. Now a days, she kept herself busy in the library while waiting for him. A couple of times, Kikyo and Sango came over to ask for some help in their English homework and she hesitantly helped them. The two girls were rather happy to see that she was opening up to them much more than she had before.

The field was empty, so she figured they must be in the locker room. She walked towards that area and sat down on a bench to wait for him. A small breeze picked up and tossed her hair around gracefully as it blew. She closed her eyes to relax when the door to the locker rooms swung open and a couple of guys walked out laughing with one another. She did not look to them, but they definitely saw her.

"Hey, isn't that the chick who is always waiting for Sesshomaru?" one of them asked and the others nodded yes to him. "I dare you to go ask her out."

"Nah man. I'm not fucking with anything that belongs to Sesshomaru." they kept talking about her as if she weren't even there.

"Coward. Come on, the chick ain't that scary."

"Oh my god. Dude, do you even know her fucking name?" the guy raised his eye brow, "It's Kagome. Ka-go-me! Stop being such a dick. Let's go."

The two began to walk off, which Kagome was glad for. She was irritated with the one who kept calling her a 'chick', but slightly impressed with the one that knew otherwise. It made her happy that she was no longer 'whore' or 'slut' though, so she decided to ignore them. As they passed by the bench she was sitting on, she felt one of them have their eyes on her. She glanced to the locker room door as if hoping that Sesshomaru would come out about now, but he did not. The guy stopped walking away and got closer to her. He quickly slid an arm around her shoulder and smirked at her.

"Hey there..." he said to try and act smooth. Kagome tried to pull away from him, but he only tightened his grip. "Where you going? Come on. I only want to talk." Kagome shook her head no. "Why not? You talk to Sesshomaru don't you?" he asked her, seeming rather confused, "So why won't you talk to me? Am I not 'good' enough for you?" She felt him tighten his arm around her shoulder even more and looked up to him. She narrowed her eyes and pulling away, but once she realized he was not going to let go, she began to pull harder, kicking her legs.

"Hey, man! Daichi, let her go!" His friend was watching at first, but when Kagome started to kick her legs, he decided it was enough.

"Why are you thrashing around like that?" Daichi said baffled while trying to hold her down. He wasn't normally a bad guy, but didn't know how to react to her actions. "Hey, hey!" he stuttered nervously as she began pulling harder and harder. "Toshiro, I can't let her go if she keeps doing this!"

"Just let her go!" Toshiro yelled, getting rather nervous as Kagome continued to pull strongly away from Daichi. The two didn't know what to do. Daichi realized that if he let her go like that so suddenly when she was pulling, she'd end up falling forward into the pool in front of her.

"Toshiro, Sesshomaru's gonna fucking kill me!" Daichi actually began to get rather nervous.

"Kagome..." Toshiro walked up to her in a panic, "Please, please, please calm down. He's not trying to hurt you. He just doesn't want you to fall into the po-"

"SHIT!" Daichi heard the locker room door open and looked over. In a panic, he lost his grip and Kagome slipped out of his hands. Just like he thought, the two of them lost their balance and fell away from one another. Daichi landed on the concrete while Kagome fell forward, the momentum carrying her all the way in.

"FUCK!" They looked over the edge and into the pool to see a small amount of blood rising. Toshiro didn't hesitate at all. He jumped into the pool fully dressed and swam down a good ten feet down into the deep end to grab her.

"What's going on?" Sesshomaru and the rest of the team had walked out of the locker rooms to see Daichi in a panic.

"I..." Daichi's voice shook as he choked on his own words. "Se-Sesshomaru. I-... I am so... so sorry. I didn't mean to! She panicked! I-I mean I panicked! Well... God damn it, don't kill me!"

"What?" Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed at the mention of a girl. At that moment Toshiro swam up to the surface with a coughing Kagome. Toshiro pushed her up to the side of the pool so she could hold on.

"Are you all right?" Toshiro asked Kagome. She stared at him for a moment, deep in thought. She did not know how to react to this. At first it seemed like they were going to hurt her, but then they switched up and wanted to help her. This one was her fault, so she nodded. She was fine.

"Ehhh!" Daichi seemed to freak out when Sesshomaru stepped threateningly towards him. Daichi backed away and Sesshomaru continued his advance until Kagome reached out and grabbed his ankle.

The entire team looked to Kagome. She was shivering from the cold water. She shook her head at Sesshomaru as if to tell him something and then gave a sweet smile, something that no one but him had seen before. He glanced back to Daichi and then returned his attention to Kagome. Realizing what she was saying, he bent down and slid his hands under her arms. In a rather quick and easy swoop, he lifted her completely out of the pool and set her back down. She looked to Daichi and nodded to him.

"So... he's not gonna kill me?" Daichi asked.

"No." was all Sesshomaru replied with as he pulled the shivering Kagome into his arms.

"Are you two dating?" A teammate suddenly asked and the entire team got interested.

"No." was once again Sesshomaru's reply.

"Why not?" Toshiro asked and Kagome just looked up to Sesshomaru to see his answer then. He did not give one. Instead he glanced down to Kagome and thought for a moment.

"Yeah... Almost everyone in school assumes you guys are a thing." Daichi told them, "So if you aren't, then why are you two always together?" Sesshomaru didn't seem to have an answer for that. The two stayed quiet and the team decided to leave them alone about it. Everyone but the two of them walked off. A small breeze picked up and Kagome's body began to cool. She started shivering again.

"Let's get you a change of clothes..." Sesshomaru told her and walked back into the boys locker room. Kagome just raised an eyebrow and stared at the door. There was no way she was going in there, so she waited outside. After a minute or so, Sesshomaru came out with a jersey. "Here... Go change into this and I'll walk you home."

"Thanks..." She mumbled and took it. It only took her a few minutes to change, but took up a little extra time to dry her hair. Once she was finished she walked out and looked to him.

"Cute." Sesshomaru said with an eyebrow raised. The uniform was baggy on her small body and could practically be used as a dress.

"Are you making fun of me?" Kagome looked up to him rather serious.

"No." was all he replied with, not really enjoying the look she had in her eyes.

"When are we going to go visit Rin and her little brother?" Kagome suddenly asked him since the thought had randomly come to mind. "I won't start training until we do."

"His name is Shippo and I was thinking tomorrow morning." Sesshomaru said and the two began to walk out of school grounds.

"Morning?" Kagome questioned.

"Yeah. Inuyasha was wanting to get everyone together for a week and wanted to start it tomorrow. That means you as well, Kagome." Sesshomaru glanced over to her to see her reaction and was surprised to see that she seemed to be thinking about it. "Would you want to come?"

"I was going to ask you if you were going." Kagome said.

"I am."

"Then I wouldn't mind going. I-I think I am doing good..." Kagome looked up to him with a sweet smile and he couldn't help but return a smile as well.

"What do you mean?" He asked her.

"I don't want to go if you're not going."Kagome explained to him, "If you weren't there I wouldn't feel comfortable and, in all honesty, I wouldn't see the point in it."

"No point in it?" Sesshomaru asked and she nodded with that same smile, "You're saying that there is no point in going somewhere if I am not going with you?" Once again she nodded. "Why?"

"I wouldn't have fun. I wouldn't feel safe. I wouldn't like it." She said, with each reason she held up another finger, counting up, "And anyway... It worries me. I heard them talking about going to the beach, and..." she lowered her head and thought about the large scar that was along her back. "I don't know how to swim, I don't want to wear a bikini either."

"You can't swim?" Sesshomaru questioned her in shock, "That's rather... new. And why would you not want to wear a bathing suit. I'm sure you'd look... beautiful." He did not hesitate because it was a lie, but rather he felt a little shy complimenting her in such a manner.

"Beautiful?" Kagome smiled gently and looked forward, "It would be nice to be called beautiful again. I liked it last time."

"Again?" He looked down to her.

"Yes." She said, nodding once, "When you first saw me in that dress. That was the first time since my adoptive Mom and Dad that anyone had complimented me. It was nice." For about ten minutes, the two of them were keeping silent, but then Kagome noticed something and stopped walking, "Where are we?" She looked around.

"We are heading to my place. Not the estate, but where I live with Inuyasha." Sesshomaru explained and Kagome hurried to catch up to him since he did not stop with her.

"Why?" she grabbed onto his arm and stopped him from walking any further. He stopped and looked down to her. She was trembling. He could feel her hand shake against his arm.

"Are you frightened?" Sesshomaru asked her in a slightly concerned tone and she nodded. Yes. "Why would you be frightened of that?"

"...I-I just was surprised. You should have told me." Kagome looked away from him and to the floor.

"I thought you would have noticed when we left the school and went right, not left." Sesshomaru stared at her with a blank face, "Kagome... It's just me and Inuyasha. Kikyo, Sango, and Miroku might be there, but Miroku and Sango will probably leave to head home when it gets late."

"And what happens when it gets late?" Kagome looked back up to him with eyes narrowed in a suspicious way, like she was questioning his motives.

"Do you wish to go to your apartment, Kagome?" Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes angrily at her. This frightened her slightly. She let go of his arm and took a step back, but he turned fully towards her and placed an arm around her back. He pulled her into him and glared down at her.

"Wh-What a-are you d-doing?" she attempted to push away from him only slightly, but he did not budge from her. "S-Sesshomaru?"

"You know... I thought you trusted me, Kagome." He whispered into her ear, his voice filled with hurt and disappointment. "It's messed up to know that you are still wary of me when the only thing I have done to you since we've met is support, help, and protect. If you wish to go home, then turn around and go home." With that he let her go and turned away from her, walking off.

"Sesshomaru..." She mumbled under her breath where he was not able to hear. Tears fell down her cheeks as she tried to hold back her crying. She didn't know how to reply or react to him. She had hurt him very badly, and she knew that. Then when he told her to go home, it almost felt like her world was crashing down around her. She just watched him walk. She was frozen. _"Go After Him!" _ she yelled at herself and took a step forward seeing that he was getting farther and farther down the street.

"_GOD DAMN IT KAGOME! MOVE!" _her conscience seemed to yell at her now. Dropping all of her things she ran forward. _"GO AFTER HIM!"_ He was still in her sights as she began to run. Getting to him was the only thing on her mind. She wanted, no... she needed to say sorry. She didn't want to hurt him. She never would want him to be mad at her. She yelled, "SESSHOMARU!"

SCREETCH!

The sound of someone slamming on their breaks echoed through the air. Kagome had foolishly run out into the street. She didn't even know she did. She just needed to get to him and because she wasn't paying attention to anything but him, she was hit by a car. The car slammed into her side, causing her body to be pushed upwards and into the air. Horrified pedestrians all stared in shock as Kagome's body seemed to flip over the car and land on the trunk, only to slide off and hit the street below.

Sesshomaru heard her call out his name, but was intent on ignoring it. He was disappointed in the way she had decided to react to him. Once he heard the breaks screech he stopped walking. He did not even turned around. He really didn't want to, but had to find out. He froze. His breathing became heavy as he slowly turned to see what had happened. He hoped, prayed, begged God to make it be someone else. Don't make it be her. Don't make it be her. It was. He saw her body laying there and couldn't breathe, his eyes widening in horror. He ran to her.

"MOVE!" He shouted as he ran through everyone, pushing anyone who was to slow to react to his demands out of his way. Once he got to her, he dropped down to his knees and went to touch her, but was to scared to. "Kagome...?" He said her name, but she didn't move. "K-Kagome?" He called out once more and her eyes fluttered open. She looked up to him. "SOMEONE CALL FOR A FUCKING AMBULANCE!"

"Already done. They are on their way." A random man said.

"Oh my god." The woman driving the car was panicking. "I'm so sorry." The woman began to cry and bent down next to Kagome, "Are you okay?"

"Mom!" a little boy peeked his head out the back of the woman's car and she went over to him.

"Kagome?" Sesshomaru felt a large amount of relief when he felt her grab his hand.

"I-I... di..dn't mean... to h..urt you." Kagome struggled to say as her vision began to blur, "I st-still... I still g-get scared. I'm so sorry..." Kagome closed her eyes.

"Kagome?" Sesshomaru grabbed onto her hand. He was in a panic. Finally the ambulance came and loaded her up, placing a neck brace on her. As they drove off, Sesshomaru had never run so fast in his life. He followed the ambulance for the next four blocks, to frightened to even think about the idea of breathing while running and only a minute or two after the ambulance, he arrived. They were in the middle of pushing her on a stretcher into the emergency room. When he tried to follow, a nurse stopped him.

"Sir, I'm sorry, but you can't come back here. Please wait in that area right there." She said and Sesshomaru glared down at her.

"My Father is the one signing your check woman." He gave her a heated glare, but she shook her head.

"I understand you're scared." the woman explained, "But this is not your fault, nor is it mine. Let the doctor do what he needs to do. Stressing the situation will only put people on edge, and we don't want the doctor working on your friend to be on edge, now do we?" Sesshomaru nodded and calmed down, moving over to an empty waiting room.

"_Not my fault...? How is this not my fault...?" _Sesshomaru thought to himself, slouching over in the chair, using his knees as arm rests as he kept his hands on his face. Worry was overwhelming him.

"_It is... It is all my fault." _

**END OF CHAPTER! Review Please!**


	11. Guilt

Chapter Eleven: Guilt

Sesshomaru was sitting in the waiting room with a sick look on his face. He was sweating, not breathing right, nervous, and felt horrible. The longer he was forced to wait the worse it got. Every now and then he'd glance back to the room they pulled her through to see what they were doing, but to no avail at all. No one came to talk to him, and when he tried speaking to someone about it, they only told him he needed to wait. There was no word of hope at all. He jumped, his heart skipping a beat when his cell phone went off. He pulled it from his pocket and picked it up, not even checking to see who it was.

"Hello?" He said, sounding rather defeated.

"Whoa. Bro are you okay?" Inuyasha asked him when he heard the sound of his voice. "You and Kagome were supposed to be here over an hour ago!"

"N-No. I-I'm not." He said with a shaky voice. He tried holding back the sound of worry in his voice, but he couldn't help it.

"What's wrong?" Inuyasha asked and waited for an answer, but there was none. "WHAT HAPPENED?" Inuyasha yelled in a worried voice.

"K-Kagome. She got hit by a car." Sesshomaru said and Inuyasha couldn't reply. He didn't know what to say. "They haven't said anything. She's still in back."

"Oh. Okay." Inuyasha took in a deep breath and spoke again, "I understand you are worried, Sess, but you sound torn up. That can't be all that happened."

"It was my fault." Sesshomaru said and let out a breath. He calmed down slightly and waited for his brothers reaction, but didn't get one, "I got angry with her. I told her to go home and left her on the street. She came running after me and ran right in front of a car."

"Sesshomaru, that... That's an accident. You can't blame yoursel-... Look..." Inuyasha changed his tone and some noise could be heard over the phone, "We're coming to see you and her. This shit ain't your fault and Kagome is going to be fine." Click.

Sesshomaru heard his brother hang up and looked at the phone, reading the 'call ended' sign over and over again until it switched back to the main screen. Letting out a sigh, he slid his phone back into his pocket. A touch on the shoulder. He looked back to see a nurse and stood up to listen to what she had to say. At first the woman had a bad look on her face, like something had gone wrong, but it was false. She quickly smiled and nodded to him.

"Your friend is fine. She's even awake right now." the woman said and walked back towards the room, motioning for Sesshomaru to follow, "Come on. You can come see her." He nodded and followed her into the back. The two went around a few corners and stopped at a room. The nurse turned to him and pointed into the room, "Go on. She's okay. Go."

Sesshomaru took in a deep breath and stepped around the corner and into the room. Kagome was laying peacefully in the bed, covered with the blankets of the hospital. She was looking out the window with wider eyes than normal. Sesshomaru didn't understand why, but he stepped closer to her. He was scared that she would be furious with him. Kagome suddenly turned her head back towards him and he stopped getting closer. She stared wide eyed at him and blinked a couple of times.

"I can't be in here." Kagome said, her voice full of fear, "Get me out."

"What?" Sesshomaru gulped and sat down in a chair next to her.

"I don't like hospitals. I want out. Tell them to let me go. I hate being here. I don't want to be here." She sounded like she was ready to have a mental break down with how fast she was talking.

"Whoa, whoa! Kagome..." He moved closer to her and grabbed onto her hand. He looked down to her hand and then back up to her. She was trembling again. "Are you still frightened of-..."

"No." Kagome said and shook her head, "You don't understand. I spent an entire year laying in a hospital bed. I never wanted to come back here. I just want to go with you to your house. I don't want to go back to that apartment."

"Kagome..." Sesshomaru looked her up and down. She may not have been badly hurt, but he wanted her to stay here until the doctor said she could go. "You need to stay here un-"

"No. I need to go." She shook her head, a tear falling down her cheek.

"Kagome..." Sesshomaru begun again, but she shook her head no. She was practically begging him to get her out of here. He wanted to do it. He wanted to get her out, but he shook his head. "I need you to stay here, Kagome... Please."

"You need me to stay here?" Kagome was confused by this statement.

"I just want to make sure you are better." He told her and she went to speak again, but he stopped her. He stood up and tightened his grip on her hand, sitting on the side of the bed with her. "I need you to stay here. I will not leave your side. I will stay in this room with you until the doctor says you can go, but please don't go before that..."

"Sesshomaru..." She looked up to him and laid back into the bed, "Okay... I'll stay. For you." She gave a weak smile and he nodded thankfully. Kagome reached up to him and grabbed onto some of his hair, pushing it back behind his ear. "Th... There!" She giggled slightly and closed her eyes. Sesshomaru suddenly leaned down and kissed her forehead.

"Thank you Kagome." He said and went to stand again, but she set a hand on the back of his head to stop him from moving away. She stared intensely into his eyes, causing Sesshomaru's heart to speed up slightly. Kagome began moving up towards him, until her lips were about to touch his.

"KAGOME!" someone crashed into the room. Moment ruined. Sesshomaru quickly stood up and Kagome laid back down in the bed. "Oh my god are you okay?"

"Sango?" Kagome blinked in shock and then Miroku ran in with Kikyo and Inuyasha. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Are you kidding me?" Kikyo said with wide eyes, "You get hurt like that and you expect us to just stay at home? No!"

"Yeah, Kagome..." Miroku said as he sat a vase of flowers down on a small dresser next to the bed, "I can't believe you would think that we'd stay at home. We'd all rather be here."

"I have to agree with Miroku." Inuyasha said, standing at the end of the bed, "Face it Kagome... You're part of the group now. You're family."

"Family?" Kagome raised an eyebrow at Inuyasha.

"Uh, yeah!" Sango said as if it was a no brainer, "We all care a lot about you, Kagome. So we're gonna be here when you're hurt or something." Kagome looked around at all of them. They were all nodding and she couldn't help but smile.

"Yeeaahhh..." Inuyasha stepped around his brother and got a bit closer to Kagome, "We've decided that we love you." Inuyasha explained, "I mean.. One of us more than the others..." Inuyasha pointed back towards Sesshomaru, "... but it's true. You're family. We love you. Now are you coming to the beach house with us, or not?"

"Beach house?" Kagome blinked.

"Yeah. We were all goi- Wait... how hurt are you?" Kikyo asked.

"Not too bad." Kagome said with a smile. "I hope I can come with you guys."

"I'm sure you'll be able to come." A familiar voice just spoke out. Everyone turned to see InuTaisho and Izayoi enter the room with a bouquet of flowers. Kagome blinked in surprise. She didn't ever have so many visitors before. She couldn't remember the last time that people seemed to care about her enough for them to take their time to come see if she was well.

"How are you feeling, Kagome?" Izayoi asked as she set the flowers down next to the ones Inuyasha had brought for her.

"I'm okay." Kagome watched them both with a blank face, not sure of what to say.

"Well that is good to hear." Izayoi said, "We were terrified when we got the call saying you had been hit by a car."

"Yes, we were." InuTaisho agreed, stepping over to stand next to his wife.

"Why?" Kagome questioned innocently. Everyone looked to her slightly confused by her reaction towards them coming, but when they saw how serious she was, they realized she actually didn't understand fully.

"Kagome... You're family to us." InuTaisho said with a kind smile, "And you can't deny it. I've always wanted a daughter!" His demeanor suddenly changed and he got a little excited, "For years I begged for a daughter! A sweet little girl that I can have a tea party with! One that I can buy loads of stuffed animals for and read bed time stories! I begged for this precious little girl, but what I do I get! Sons! I got sons!"

"Well thanks, Dad. Sorry for not coming out a chick." Inuyasha and Sesshomaru both gave their father slightly irritated glares, but stopped when they heard a small giggle. Everyone looked towards Kagome. She was holding her stomach, closing her eyes, and trying desperately to hold in a laugh, but it obviously wasn't working. They all smiled.

"Well we're going to get out of here." Izayoi said as she and InuTaisho went towards the door, "Feel better, Kagome. I hope you have fun on your vacation." InuTaisho nodded in agreement and the two left.

"Yeah... We should get going too." Miroku said, nodding to the group. Sango and Kikyo both quickly snatched a few hugs from Kagome, knowing she would protest if given too much time. Everyone began to walk out, Inuyasha giving his brother a wave before they left.

Sesshomaru took a seat in a chair near the bed once more. Slouched over, he was staring at the ground, his hair dropping down by his face and covering his expression. Kagome didn't really notice because she was staring at all of the flowers she got. He was looking at her though. Peeking through his bangs to watch her. He felt so horrible. He walked away from her, telling her to just go home. He reacted so badly towards what she had said. She was scared. Why didn't he understand that? He should have understood. He knew what she had gone through and how much it frightened her to be around other people, so to randomly try and bring her back to his place... He was in the wrong.

"Kago-..." He was about to speak when the nurse walked in.

"Miss Higurashi." the woman stepped over to the bed with a smile, "You had us scared for a minute there, but it seems you're just fine. A few bumps and bruises, you'll feel sore for the next week or so, but there is no major damage. We ran test after test, thinking that something was going to pop up, but it didn't, so you a free to go home whenever you wish, okay?" Kagome looked to her and nodded a single time. The woman left, glancing towards Sesshomaru with a flirtatious smile. Kagome immediately glared at her, and she quickly left.

"Stupid woman..." Kagome mumbled under her breath and crossed her arms along her chest, "Why does every single girl that we come across have t-..."

"I'm sorry." Sesshomaru said before another moment passed.

"Huh?" Kagome looked towards him, swinging her legs off the bed and standing up. He just shook his head like it was nothing. She smiled and walked around, looking for her clothes. Once she found them, she held them up, "Look. Not even a tear." She closed the door to her room and pointed to Sesshomaru, "You stay right there while I change." He nodded and she quickly changed into her normal clothing, the only thing keeping them separated was a hospital curtain that she pulled across. After she finished changing, she pushed the curtain to the side and looked to him, "Can we go home now?"

"... Home?" Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow at her and then nodded, "If that is what you wish." Kagome gave him a concerned look. His tone was different with her. He seemed 'accepting', like he was just going to agree with everything she said. As they walked out of the hospital room, Kagome continued to stare suspiciously at him. They continued walking until they got to a park and Kagome set a hand on his shoulder. He looked back to see she was worried about him.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"Nothing." Sesshomaru just stared at her.

"Liar." She raised an eyebrow at him and then looked around, "And where do you live?"

"Just up ahead..." He said and they continued to walk. A few minutes of utter silence and they made it to a large building. Kagome stared up at it in awe and followed him closely. As they went in, she was surprised at how fancy it looked, especially when comparing it to her place. There was a lobby, a small cafe, and even a evening restaurant. Sesshomaru lead her to an elevator and she cautiously stepped in. They went up to the tenth floor and then to his apartment. Taking out a key, Kagome was as excited as a little girl at Disney Land. Sesshomaru noticed this as well and couldn't help but smile.

As he opened the door, he allowed her to step in first. When she did, her eyes brightened up. The first thing she saw was the amazing view. Once she was done staring at that, she looked around and saw the couches, the rugs, the lights, the open floor concept, the updated kitchen, a long hall way, and a minibar. Once she was the minibar, she raised an eyebrow at Sesshomaru and pointed to it. He just chuckled and shrugged like it had come with the place. Excitedly, she went down the hallway and first checked the bathroom. Wow, was her only reaction. It was really big. Granite counters, duel sinks, a bath with a separate shower. She had not ever seen this in an apartment before.

Moving on towards the first room, she couldn't help but smile. It was an exercise room. A weight bench, a treadmill, punching bag, and a few other things she couldn't name off the top of her head. She glanced back to him. He was just standing at the end of the hallway, watching her as she explored his home. She giggled and then moved on to the next room. This one was his. The first thing that came to her mind was... The bed. She ran over to it and rather softly slid under the blankets and just laid there for a minute.

"Kagome?" She heard him call out her name, but did not move. "What the hell?" He looked around for her. He had not seen her slide under the blankets, so he didn't realize it. Since his blankets were so fluffy and she was so tiny, there was really no evidence that she had even been there. From a small hole in the blanket, she saw him come over and reached out, grabbing his shirt. This startled the shit out of him and he jumped back, tripping over a rug, and falling on his ass. "Shit!" He saw her come out from under the blankets and took in a deep breath. His heart had skipped beat.

"I scared you." Kagome stared at him.

"Yes... You did." Sesshomaru nodded and went to stand up, but she jumped from the bed aiming straight for his arms. Of course he easily caught her. "Be careful... Doesn't it hurt?"

"A little..." Kagome mumbled under her breath. Sesshomaru stood up, pulling her to her feet as well and stared down at her, "Why are you acting so weird?"

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"You know exactly what I mean..." Kagome said and sat back down on the edge of the bed, "You feel guilty. I don't like it. Stop."

"It's not something you can just stop."

"You shouldn't feel it in the first place." Kagome turned away from him, feeling slightly guilty herself, "It was my fault. I know how bad it makes you feel when I act as if I don't trust you. I do trust you, Sesshomaru. I was just taken by surprise."

"That's not what is bugging me." he said and she looked to him. He went over and sat down next to her, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her into him, "Today... I reacted like an idiot to what happened. I should have realized you were scared. I should have asked you if you'd even want to come here, but I didn't."

"Sesshomaru, I-..." she went to speak, but he tightened his arm around her.

"You could have died." He said, his voice filled with regret and sorrow. "I should not ever have left you there like that. It was my fault. As a man, as your friend, and as a fucking person, I should not have just turned away like that... The fact that I did... It disgusts me. Can you forgive me?"

"Sesshomaru..." She looked up to him and he looked down to her, "There's nothing to forgive..."

Kagome placed her hand on the side of his face, bringing herself forward. Within a single moment that felt like eternity to them both, Kagome placed her lips against Sesshomaru's in a single, sweet kiss that neither of them would ever forget. As their lips separated, Sesshomaru wanted to lean in and take another, but restrained himself. Kagome's cheeks turned a seriously dark red, making her look like a tomato. She couldn't believe she just did that.

"S-Sorry..." she mumbled as she saw the shocked look on his face.

"No. Please don't be." Sesshomaru's look changed to a soft smile. She smiled back to him and nodded.

"So, why did you want to bring me here?" She asked him.

"Well the trip was supposed to start tomorrow, so I thought you'd be more comfortable here." He said as he stood up and walked over to a large walk-in closet. "You wanted to visit Rin and Shippo, correct?" She nodded. "Well if we go in the morning, we can visit them and then come back here to catch Inuyasha and the rest before they leave."

"Oh, okay. What time will they be leaving?" Kagome asked him She was peeking around the corner and watching as he began change from his school uniform and into some more comfortable clothing. He glanced back and noticed this. Raising an eyebrow, he closed the closet door.

"They will be leaving around two tomorrow... Peeping tom." Sesshomaru said.

"I am not!" She stood up and walked towards the hallway. She quickly snuck out of his room and went to the exercise room. _'He must work out a lot...' _She said and then noticed a large stack of dirty laundry laying on the ground, _'What the...? So much for Mr. Perfect... Oh well. It's kind of cute to know that he has something about him that isn't perfect...' _She giggled slightly and shook her head. He was athletic, intelligent, kind, considerate, and although he had a temper about certain things, he was very level headed and kind most of the time.

She went walking around the house for a while when she noticed something. She looked down and smiled widely. The floors... They were wood... HELL YEAH! She went to the front door and kicked off her shoes to where she was only wearing socks. She went removed the rugs that were going down the hallway as quietly as she could and set them in the exercise room. She then returned to the living room and suddenly darted towards the hallway. Once she got to a certain point, she stopped. Her socks were the perfect amount of softness to allow her to glide down the hallway. She knew the only way she could stop was to hit the wall, so she allowed her body to smack against the wall. Losing her balance and falling to the floor, she began to laugh. Sesshomaru was just about to walk out of his room when he saw her do this. He stared blankly down at her. No comment.

"Ow, ow, ow..." Kagome laughed as she held her side, not noticing he was there.

"What... are... you... doing...?" Sesshomaru asked rather dumbfounded. He was stuck, shocked, baffled, absolutely puzzled by her bizarre behavior. She looked up to him and smiled innocently, like she had done nothing wrong at all. Sesshomaru looked out of his room and down the hallway, "Where are my rugs?"

"I put them in the exercise room." Kagome said with a cheerful voice as she stood up. He grabbed onto her arm and helped her to her feet.

"Kagome... Sometimes you confuse the hell out of me." Sesshomaru said.

"Huh...? What did I do?" Kagome asked him.

"Well... The first time you did was when I walked into your room after the dance and you had wrapped yourself in all of the blankets on the bed to where I could only see your face." Sesshomaru explained and then looked down the hall again, "And now you're sock skating in my home..."

"Sorry." Kagome said giggling. "I never got to have any fun after I turned thirteen because of that thing with my adoptive parents and biological parents."

"I see... Well don't let me stop you, but it is eleven." Sesshomaru pointed to a clock on the wall.

"Oh wow... I didn't realize it was that late." Kagome blinked in shock.

"Yeah... Well we were at the hospital for a few hours." Sesshomaru said. Kagome looked to him, staring for a moment until a look of thankfulness moved onto her face. She didn't realize that he had stayed there that entire time, and then after all of that, his family and friends came to see her as well.

"That's nice." Kagome said softly.

"Being at the hospital for that long... is nice?" Sesshomaru asked and she shook her head, "Then what?"

"Everyone came to see me... It was nice." Kagome suddenly felt really tired and yawned. "Where am I going to sleep?"

"In here." Sesshomaru pointed to his room and gently gave her a little push inside, "I'm taking the couch. Sleep well, okay?"

"It's your bed though. I can take the couch. It's where I usually sleep." Kagome said trying to walk out of the room, but was stopped when he placed his arm in front of her.

"No. Sleep." was all he said and she nodded with a smile. "Goodnight Kagome."

"Goodnight Sesshomaru." Kagome closed the door and went over to the bed. She took off her clothes, keeping only her bra and underwear on. Sliding into bed, she laid her head down, covering herself with the fluffy and soft blankets, quickly being able to fall asleep.

Kagome was having a really nice sleep. She was warm and the bed was soft and very comfortable for her. Unfortunately, during her very peaceful sleep, a storm began to blow into town. As she slept, suddenly a loud crash came echoing in. Her eyes snapped open and light flashed into the room. It was raining again. She curled her knees up to her chest and placed a pillow over her head.

"No..." she pleaded as the thunder came roaring in again. She looked around the room and reached out to turn on a lamp. The moment she did, thunder boomed and the electricity went out. She heard the rain coming down onto the roof, sounding like marbles dropping down. Thunder boomed, lightning crashed and she covered her ears as tightly as she could, trying to block it out.

The moment thunder sounded, Sesshomaru's eyes also shot open. For a minute he sat there, not moving and just staring out the window. The rain came crashing down rather hard. He kept to his own thoughts for a while until he remembered the scream he heard from Kagome when she had her freak out. The image of her yelling out and thrashing about came back to him. He did not want this again, so he jumped up from the couch and walked back to his room. The moment he opened the door, he felt slightly bad. She had curled up on the bed and was covering her ears.

"Kagome..." Sesshomaru stepped over to her and set a hand on her shoulder. She opened her eyes and looked up to him with a weak smile. "Are you okay?" She nodded slowly, removing her hands from her ears. Thunder and lightning echoed through the room again, causing her to immediately cover her ears once more. "Are you going to be able to sleep?" She shook her head.

"Stay with me..." She whispered, reaching out and grabbing onto his wrist. He nodded and moved to sit onto the bed. Thunder clashed again and she practically threw herself into his arms. She clung to him for dear life, laying her head onto his chest and tightly closing her eyes.

"It's okay." He wrapped his arms around her and rubbed the back of her head. She seemed to relax, only tensing when she heard the thunder, but after a while she was able to calm down completely. He lifted her up and set her between his legs, allowing her to rest on his torso. Soon she fell asleep, clinging onto his shirt. He soon fell asleep as well, keeping his arms wrapped around her.

**END OF CHAPTER**


	12. What Keeps You Going

Chapter Twelve: What Keeps You Going

The next morning came too soon in Sesshomaru's opinion. He was enjoying his sleep with Kagome laying nicely in his arms. He opened his eyes and looked down to her. She looked so peaceful in his arms. Kagome's eyes opened and she looked straight up to him.

"Good morning." Sesshomaru said to her and she sat up, stretching her back and yawning.

"What time is it?" She asked while covering her mouth.

"It's..." He looked over to the clock, "Seven in the morning."

"Oh.. Should we get going then?" Kagome asked him through a yawn. He nodded and the two stood up off the bed. Sesshomaru's eyes widened as he got a full frontal of Kagome and he quickly turned away from her. She was only wearing her bra and panties.

"Um... Did you sleep like that all night?" He asked and she looked down at herself.

"Oh... Uh..." Her cheeks turned a deep crimson. Her fear last night kept her from realizing that he had laid into bed with her while she wasn't fully dressed. Usually her reaction would be to shriek and hide herself under the blankets while also yelling for him to leave, but for some reason this didn't happen. "I guess I did..." was all she said.

"Okay... Well, I'm going to get dressed in here. Hurry and put your clothes on." Sesshomaru stepped into his walk in closet and closed the door. After a couple of minutes, she stepped out and saw that she was also dressed, "Let's eat something first..."

"Have you always been so strict about breakfast?" Kagome asked him, "It's like you never let me skip it, whether I am actually hungry or not." The two of them walked to the kitchen and Sesshomaru immediately got to work on some amazing toast! Adding a bit of butter and jam on top made the meal even more marvelous!

"Actually no." Sesshomaru explained as he handed her a plate with two slices on it. "Until I met you, I was a normal guy who skipped breakfast most of the time." He took a bite and looked to her with a smile while he chewed.

"Meeting me changed that?" She asked him and he nodded to her, "Why?"

"Before I had met you, I didn't know anyone that would starve themselves in order to pay their tuition in school." Sesshomaru said and she looked at him rather confused.

"What are you talking about?" Kagome blinked a couple of times, "Sesshomaru... I was starving myself because I didn't have the money to eat. Even now I have problems keeping up with my rent and all of the other bills I have to pay. My job doesn't give that much."

"Your job? I didn't know you worked." Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow at her.

"I only do on Tuesday's and Wednesday's... From seven at night to three in the morning." Kagome explained to him and then looked away ashamed, "It's not something I like talking about."

"Where do you work?" He asked.

"I really don't like talking about it." She answered seriously, giving him a 'warning glare'.

"I see..." Sesshomaru took his last bite of toast and set the plate in the sink, "I can't believe that after everything we have done together, I didn't know you had a job. Well that's good at least. Does it pay well?"

"The pay is shit, the surroundings are worse, and the boss is an asshole." Kagome took her last bite as well and he took her plate from her. "Thanks... But yeah. The tips are what's good." A loud crashing sound came to her ears and she snapped her head over to Sesshomaru. He had dropped the plate and it shattered across the floor. He quickly bent down to pick it up. "Are you okay?"

"Shit!" He cut himself a bit along his hand on a sharper piece, "Yeah... I'm fine." He looked over to see she had come to him and looked at his hand.

"Come here..." She grabbed onto his hand and pulled him to his feet. Running his hand under some water, she grabbed a towel that was next to the sink and covered the wound. "Apply a bit of pressure so it will stop bleeding..." She told him, "I'll pick it up, okay? How come you dropped it?" Sesshomaru didn't reply. He watched her with a blank face. "All right... All done." she threw all the broken shards into the trash and looked back to him with an innocent smile.

"Kagome..." Sesshomaru said, stepping closer to her. She didn't back up, instead she just looked up to him, waiting for him to say what he wanted to say. "Tell me... What is it you do? What is your job?"

"Don't worry..." She raised an eyebrow at him and poked his chest, "I'm not a stripper, okay? I had a feeling that is what you immediately thought. You can have more faith in me than that." She smiled again and giggled a little. He automatically calmed down.

"Good..." He said and she shot a glare towards him.

"You actually thought I was a stripper?" Kagome yelled at him, "HOW DARE YOU!" Sesshomaru backed away and she grabbed onto a pan. She swung it at him, but he dodged. She began to chase him around the house.

"Kagome!" Sesshomaru yelled dodging another swing of the pan, _"Is she actually trying to hit me?" _he asked himself as he examined her. She was smiling, _"Oh..." _He suddenly switched his direction and ran down the hallway, but she caught him and the two of them fell, sliding along the slick wooden floors. Once they stopped, they looked up at each other and began to laugh. "You know... for a second there, I thought you were actually trying to hurt me."

"I was..." Kagome said and his look changed. She began laughing against and moved up to kiss his cheek, "Of course I wouldn't actually trying to hit you. I would never..." She stood up and helped him to his feet, "Now let's get going. I want to see Rin."

He nodded with a slightly dumbfounded look on his face. He wasn't expecting another kiss. As she helped him to his feet and the two of them went towards the front door, heading out. As they left the lobby of his appartment building, a car was already waiting for them. Sesshomaru stepped aside and allowed Kagome to get in first. She hesitated for only a moment, but still got in.

It was about a thirty minute drive. They arrived and left the car, hurrying up the steps of a rather fancy looking building. Kagome didn't know that orphanages were so well kept, but this wasn't just any orphanage. Sesshomaru's family were the ones that continue to pay for the place to be taken care of and to keep the children safe and well taken care of. Sesshomaru lead her down a hall and to a large room. She smiled when she looked around at all of the children.

"Sesshomaru!" A young voice sounded out and the two looked towards Rin. She ran over to him excitedly and jumped into his arms. Sesshomaru knelt down and caught her, lifting her up and giving her a tight hug, "I missed you..." She whispered to him, sounding rather upset.

"I missed you too, Rin. Where is your brother?" Sesshomaru said, loosening his grip on the child. Rin pointed over to a corner. Kagome and Sesshomaru looked over to see a young boy with light brown hair sitting in a corner away from everyone else. He was fiddling with a few blocks, but didn't really do anything with them.

"Shippo stays away from everyone a lot now... He keeps having bad dreams." Rin explained, laying her head down on Sesshomaru's shoulder, her little hands clutching his shirt tightly. Her attention was caught when she recognized the woman Sesshomaru was with, "Hey... I remember you." Rin pointed to her, blinking as she tried to think of her name. "You're the lady that can't talk... I can't remember your name, sorry."

"I can talk." Kagome said to Rin without looking towards her. Kagome seemed to be in deep thought while watching the young boy. Without a hint of why, Kagome left the two and walked over to Shippo, sitting down next to him. "Hi..." she said softly to the child and he looked up to her, keeping a blank face.

"H-Hi..." Shippo stuttered slightly, clearing his throat.

"You're Rin's little brother, right? Shippo?" Kagome asked him and the child nodded, "Is it true you've been having nightmares?" It must have been something she said. Shippo suddenly glared rather darkly at Rin and then at Kagome. "Stop it." she told him in a rather demanding voice. He kept narrowed eyes, but did seem to calm down slightly. "What are they about?"

"My nightmares?" Shippo clenched his teeth as he asked. Kagome of course nodded. "Why do you care? Are you here to make fun of me?"

"Why would I do that?" Kagome did not break eye contact with him. She was serious with her questions and this was something Shippo was no longer used to.

"Th-... They're about the night my Mom and Dad were killed..." Shippo muttered through slightly parted lips. Kagome took in his answer and smiled at him, leaning her back against a near by wall.

"I see..." Kagome said and looked up to the ceiling, "My birth mother and father are dead as well."

"They are?" Shippo suddenly became interested and moved closer to Kagome, "What happened to them? Did they get killed too?" Kagome nodded.

"Yes... They were, but that is not a story for now." Kagome told him, pulling him into her lap, "I want to know about you. Tell me what is scaring you... Why don't you play with the other kids?"

"Nothing is scaring me... I just don't want to play with them!" Shippo narrowed his eyes towards Kagome, struggling against her hold, but she never let up, "Who says I am scared of anythin-.. Let me go!"

"No." Kagome told him and held tighter. "I just want you to tell me why you're so scared."

"I don't even know you! Why should I tell you anything?" Shippo yelled at her rather loudly, causing her to flinch and cover her ears.

"S-Stop it... Stop yelling!" Kagome said. Sesshomaru and Rin noticed this and walked over to see what was going on.

"You're the one who seems scared." Shippo said to her. Neither of them noticed that Sesshomaru and Rin had walked up to them, "Why would you be scared? I'm just a kid! I'm eight!"

"I''m always scared..." Kagome told him in a mumble, shocking Sesshomaru, Rin, and Shippo, "I-I am always scared of people... of getting hurt... or of having someone hurt me... Every single day that I wake up, I have to find a reason to leave my home."

"That's stupid. You're an adult..." Shippo pulled away from her and stood up, dusting his clothes off.

"Being older doesn't' mean anything." Kagome shook her head and sighed.

"If you're so scared, why would you leave your home?" Shippo asked actually becoming rather curious with Kagome, "You said you have to figure out another reason to leave your home every day, right? So, what is it?"

"I can't tell you that. It's a secret." Kagome crossed her arms.

"I'll tell you mine, if you tell me yours..." Shippo said.

"No.. I asked first, so you have to go first." Kagome gave him a smile. Shippo glared at her again, but then sighed, sitting back down next to her.

"Mom and Dad always took care of us..." Shippo said quietly so no one else would hear, "They were the best and now they're gone. We are stuck here, in this stupid place. Rin was only three and she was in her room, so she doesn't remember it. I was five... I saw it all. I remember everything they did when they killed Mom and Dad..." Shippo attempted to fight the tears that threatened to fall down his face, but it was to no avail. The tears fell. "They shot Dad... and then they hit Mom over and over again until she finally stopped moving."

"Come here..." Kagome's demeanor changed slightly. She seemed a lot more motherly than usual, picking Shippo up and pulling him into her lap, "It's okay... What you went through was horrible, but you have to remember that you have Rin. You have your little sister to take care of. My parents died in horrible ways too... We just have to live on..."

"Yours did too?" Shippo wiped away a few tears and looked up to her, "How can you just keep going when your Mom and Dad are gone?"

"It's the same as the reason I decide to leave my home every morning." Kagome said and kissed Shippo's forehead, "There is someone that I have in my life now and I want to be with him."

"She's talking about you..." Rin whispered into Sesshomaru's ear very quietly with a soft giggle, but he just raised an eyebrow and gave her an 'I highly doubt it' look.

"Really? You have a sister?" Shippo asked and Kagome shook her head no, "Then who?"

"I have Sesshomaru..." Kagome said quietly and with a sincere smile, "He is the only person that I know I can trust fully and that won't hurt me. If it wasn't for him... in all honesty, I don't think I would be here right now..." She lowered her gaze to the floor, looking rather saddened, but thankful at the same time.

"Told you..." Rin whispered in Sesshomaru's ear and jumped out of his arms and onto Kagome's back, startling her. "BOO!" Kagome choked up. Her body tensed and shook slightly as she glanced back in horror at Rin. "Oh... Did I scare you that bad? I'm sorry!"

"I-It's... okay." Kagome forced herself to be able to breathe again and calmed down. She put a hand on her heart, feeling it pound heavily in her chest. She stumbled to her feet and set a hand on the wall, letting out a small laugh.

"Are you all right?" Sesshomaru asked her and Kagome looked back to him and nodded.

"So, you're in love with Sesshomaru? Are you going to marry him and be my Mommy when he adopts me and Shippo?" Rin asked rather bluntly. Neither Sesshomaru or Kagome got the chance to say anything to reply to Rin because Shippo quickly jumped in.

"No!" Shippo stomped his foot harshly onto the ground, "We don't need another Mom and Dad, Rin! Why are you so quickly to try and replace them!"

"Shippo..." Kagome covered his mouth and shook her head, "No, no. There is not a single person on this planet that has the ability to replace your real Mother and Father."

"Ah!" Shippo elbowed her in the stomach just enough to push her away, "What do you know! You don't know anything about this! Leave us alone!"

"When I was born my real Mother and Father dumped me off in a fucking trash can..." Kagome said rather angrily while she held her stomach. This new information shocked both Rin and Shippo. She looked up to Shippo with nothing but rage in her eyes, "So... Don't You Dare Tell Me I Don't Know Anything About What You Are Going Through! I Probably Know More Than Anyone In This Fucking Orphanage!" She did her best to restrain from truly yelling at Shippo since he was just a child.

"Shippo..." Rin walked over to her big brother with her head lowered, "I didn't say I wanted to replace Mommy and Daddy... I just want a new one. I want to be a part of a family again."

"Rin..." Shippo's eyes softened at her and he gave her a hug, "I'm sorry."

"If you give Sesshomaru and Kagome a chance..." Rin said hugging him back, "They could be a good new Mommy and Daddy... Can't they?" Rin looked up to her brother with pleading eyes. Shippo turned towards both Kagome and Sesshomaru and suddenly began to cry. Kagome took him into her arms and did not let go, holding him very tightly. Rin and Sesshomaru watched with smiles as Kagome calmed the eight year old down as much as she could. Once Shippo finally stopped crying, Kagome set him down on his feet and knelt down next to him.

"You know what this means, right?" Shippo asked while wiping tears away from his eyes.

"What?" Kagome asked him.

"It means you and Sesshomaru have to hurry up and get married." Rin suddenly said and Shippo nodded in agreement. They siblings gave both Kagome and Sesshomaru huge smiles. Kagome just looked back to Sesshomaru with a look of confused horror on her face.

"I'm not ready to get married!" She yelled out and shook her head.

**End Of Chapter!**

**Reviews Appreciated!**


	13. A Week At The Beach Part One

Chapter Thirteen: A Week At The Beach _ Part One

Kagome enjoyed the rest of the day she was able to spend with the two orphaned siblings, but it was time to head back. They needed to catch up with Inuyasha and the rest to head to the beach. Quickly saying their final goodbyes to the children, they stepped into the car and sat down, already feeling rather exhausted. Constant games of Tag, Hide-And-Go-Seek, and Simon Says had worn the two out. The driver took them back to the main estate where Inuyasha was waiting with Sango, Miroku, and Kikyo. Stepping out of the car, Kagome looked to the others and her eyes widened. She reached out for Sesshomaru's sleeve, but stopped when she remembered something.

"_... Did he see it?" _she wondered as she set a hand on her back. The scar that she wanted to keep hidden so desperately was in full view this morning when they woke up. He didn't say anything about it, so was he able to spot it? _"Oh no... The beach! I didn't think this through! I didn't think at all! What am I going to wear? I refuse to wear a bathing suit! I don't want them seeing it..." _

"Uh... Sesshomaru." Inuyasha motioned back towards Kagome. Everyone turned to see the look of utter horror on the girl's face. Sesshomaru reached out and set a hand on her shoulder, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Are you all right?" He asked her and she shook her head.

"I-I don't want to go..." Kagome said.

"What, why?" A disappointed Sango came forward, "We are all so excited to hang out with you this week! Please don't cancel!"

"I-I c-can't. I need to get home." She began backing away from them and Sesshomaru leaned into her ear to whisper.

"Is it because you can't swim?" Sesshomaru asked and she shook her head, "Then why?"

"I don't want to wear a bathing suit..." Kagome mumbled quietly and Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow at her, trying not to chuckle.

"Kagome, no one is going to make you wear a bathing suit." Sesshomaru said to her with a smile, "The beach isn't just the ocean. There are little restaurants, shops, arcades, sight seeing, and the hotel we are staying at is right on the shore. If you decide to go swimming, you can wear a t-shirt and some shorts."

"Yeah!" Kikyo said nodding excitedly.

"Just don't wear white... Miroku and other perverts would have the time of their lives." Sango shot an irritated glare towards Miroku who was just shrugging it off. Sesshomaru watched Kagome to see what her answer would be and finally she nodded. She would go with them. Everyone smiled and they all got into the car, Kagome of course keeping rather close to Sesshomaru.

The ride to the beach was rather comfortable. At first they tried to keep talking to everyone, but about half way through the ride, both Kagome and Sesshomaru fell asleep. Kikyo and Sango couldn't help it. They pulled out their cell phones and snapped a cute picture of the 'couple'. Inuyasha and Miroku did their best to keep quiet as well, although the two could be heard chuckling at whatever they were whispering about.

"When do you think they'll actually call themselves a couple?" Kikyo asked quietly as she slid her cell phone back into her pocket. Sango shook her head and shrugged. "They are too cute together. They really should just do it."

"If they haven't already." Miroku said, causing Inuyasha to chuckle slightly. He obviously meant something a bit different than the girls.

"I doubt that they've had sex..." Sango elbowed Miroku in the side, giving him another irritated glare.

"Do you even think they're that serious?" Inuyasha asked, glancing towards his sleeping brother.

"I don't know..." Kikyo shrugged.

Finally the car stopped and everyone looked around. They were at the hotel. Inuyasha reached over and shook Sesshomaru a bit until he woke. Sesshomaru's eyes opened and he looked around. He nodded to Inuyasha and the driver opened the car door. Sesshomaru moved around Kagome and stepped out, turning back to pick her up into his arms. Inuyasha and the rest soon followed, Inuyasha grabbing Sesshomaru's things and carrying them to the room. Kagome's eyes fluttered open as they were heading up the stairs and she looked up to Sesshomaru. A warm feeling came to her and she cuddled herself closer to him. He looked down to her and smiled.

"We're here..." Sesshomaru whispered to her. She nodded up to him and he set her down as they entered the hotel room. She looked around and back up to him. "Inuyasha, how many rooms are there?"

"Three... I was trying to get one with four, but some one had already taken it." Inuyasha explained as he set down the luggage. "I figured Kikyo and Kagome would share a room and you and I can take the other. That's up to you guys though."

"I'll share with you..." Kagome looked to Sesshomaru. He raised an eyebrow at her and then nodded.

"You and Kikyo can have your room, Inuyasha." Sesshomaru said and Inuyasha nodded, giving his brother a slightly mischievous smile. Sesshomaru just ignored it and went to pick up his luggage. He took it to the room that he and Kagome would be staying in and set it down. Kagome followed.

"This place is nice..." Kagome said. She walked over to the window and looked out. They were very high up, probably on the tenth floor. Her eyes widened when they set sights on the ocean. It was beautiful, something she had never seen before. "Wow... When do we get to go down there?"

"To the beach?" Sesshomaru stepped up behind her, "I thought you didn't want to wear a bathing suit?"

"I don't... You said I didn't have to. I can wear a t-shit right?" Kagome asked and he nodded, "Good..."

"Will you get in the water?" He asked her and she nodded. He stepped back over to the luggage and unpacking a few things. He noticed that there were a few outfits that were obviously not his, "It seems that Kikyo and Sango took the liberty of picking out some things for you to wear... I was planning on taking you to some of the shops. I don't think it's needed anymore."

"Oh... really?" Kagome walked over and looked at some of the clothing. She placed it up against her body to get a slight estimate on whether they would fit. She sighed and shook her head, "I can't wear any of this..." she set the shirts down and Sesshomaru looked to her.

"Why?"

"All of them have the back open or are showing the stomach." She explained and held up a few shirts to show him what she meant.

"Is that bad?" He asked and she nodded to him. She lowered her head and he stood up, suddenly swooping her up into his arms and holding her tight. "I don't know why that would be bad. I am sure you'd look great in th-..."

"HEY SESSHOMARU! KAGOME!" Inuyasha called out from the other room, "We're heading down to the beach for a while! You wanna come?"

"One second!" Sesshomaru replied and then looked down to her. She nodded excitedly and jumped out of his arms towards the luggage. "What will you wear?"

"This!" Kagome pulled out a black shirt with a large number on it.

"My old jersey?" Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow and she nodded, putting it on over her shirt. Using her awesome female abilities, she removed the shirt she was wearing without taking off the jersey and then stood up. "You look... cute." He chuckled and she raised an eyebrow at him. It was so big on her. It came down to just above her knees and definitely left every curve of her body to the imagination. She gave him a childish smile and then changed into the matching shorts as well. Sesshomaru also changed into his swimming trunks, leaving a shirt on for the journey to the beach.

"All right then." Inuyasha said as Sesshomaru and Kagome walked out, "Let's go."

The group left the hotel room, making sure to lock it. Walking down towards the lobby, the group excitedly made their way towards the beach. Crossing a busy street, they finally made it to the shore. Kagome, Sango, and Kikyo all ran forward and straight into the water. Sango and Kikyo were wearing two very cute bikini's and catching a lot of attention from a few guys on the beach. Miroku, Inuyasha, and Sesshomaru did their 'gentlemanly' duties and set up their spot on the beach, while the girl enjoyed the water. Sango and Kikyo noticed rather quickly that Kagome didn't want to go to deep into the water and went over to ask why.

"Kagome, are you okay?" Kikyo asked and she nodded yes. "Come deeper into the water with us?"

"No. It's okay. I want to get used to it." Kagome said when a sudden rumble came from behind the girls. They all turned to see a large wave coming towards them. Sango and Kikyo smiled and braced themselves, but Kagome's eyes widened in fear. The wave came crashing down and she was quickly swept off her feet. Not sure how to react to the rushing water, she just stayed still, allowing it to carry her away, which was actually a bad idea. Luckily, she felt a hand grab onto her arm and pull her to the surface of the water to catch her breath.

"Kagome, are you okay?" Sango asked her, letting go of her arm.

"Yeah..." Kagome nodded and smiled a little, "Thanks Sango."

Kagome felt a sensation in the back of her neck. It felt like someone was watching her. She looked over to see Sesshomaru giving her a rather serious look. It was an obvious 'you better fucking be careful' look, but it still made her feel rather silly. She ducked under the water a bit, staying closer to the shoreline with Sango and Kikyo. Every time a wave came in, the girls would purposely grab onto one another to keep each other safe and to make sure Kagome wasn't pulled away from them. It ended up becoming a little game between the three.

After a while the men joined in. Inuyasha snuck up on them by swimming under the water and grabbing onto both Kikyo and Sango's legs. He tripped the two of them and caused them to fall into the water right as another wave was coming in. The two were pushed back to the sand and glared at Inuyasha, yelling at him through coughs. Miroku helped Sango back to her feet while Kikyo went chasing after her idiotic boyfriend. Sesshomaru stepped into the water, moving over to Kagome, who was laughing at Kikyo as she chased Inuyasha. She looked back to him and smiled happily. He was glad that she was already enjoying herself. She seemed to be able to muster up enough courage to come out into the water without him. She was now beginning to trust Sango and Kikyo. That made him even happier. He did feel that she needed a female friend.

"The water is cold." Kagome said with a smile, splashing him a bit.

"Then why do you insist on splashing me?" Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow and splashed her back.

"Because I wanna..." Kagome splashed him back. She suddenly heard a rumble that seemed a bit louder and faster than before. As if planned, she suddenly held her breath and ducked under the water and held onto a large rock that was embedded in the sand. She felt the wave quickly move over her body and then popped up to the surface again.

"Having fun?" Sesshomaru asked her, having been soaked from head to toe.

"Yes. I am. I'm glad I came." Kagome said while pushing the wet hair out of her eyes.

"We're glad you came too, Kagome." Kikyo said as the others walked over to her.

"Sure are. Just remember not to stay in the water for too long." Miroku explained, looking away as if he was remembering something embarrassing.

"Haha! Last time we came here, Miroku stayed in the water for so long that he got a major sunburn on his face." Sango said, laughing.

"You can get a sunburn while in the water?" Kagome asked.

"Yeah..." Miroku nodded, "The reflection of the water onto your face seems almost stronger than it would be if you were just sunbathing..."

"Oh..." Kagome thought about it for a moment and then giggled at the thought of Miroku suddenly becoming a bright red tomato color. "I'll be careful then." Kagome turned away from them and began walking around the water. Every time a new wave would come in after her, she'd duck under it and allow it to move over her body. It was becoming a good strategy as long as she had something to hold onto and didn't accidentally take in the salt water.

After an hour or so in the water, Kagome felt it was time to go rest under the umbrella that the guys had set up. No one noticed her leave, but that was fine. She wanted them to enjoy themselves as well, so she didn't want Sesshomaru follow her like he probably would have to keep her company. She laid back on a towel and curled up in the shade of the umbrella. It didn't take Sesshomaru long to realize that Kagome had left the water. He kept a rather keen eye on her. Allowing her to get hurt was not on his list of to do's. Once she left the water, he contemplated following, but decided to let her rest.

Only a few more minutes passed and the rest of the group decided it was about time to join Kagome. They went over to their spot on the beach and noticed that Kagome was laying down. To figure out whether she was asleep or not, Sesshomaru got a brilliant idea! He walked over to her and shook his head back and forth, the water collected in his hair falling down on her like rain. Kagome shot up into a sitting position, only to hear everyone giggle at her. She looked up to Sesshomaru with a raised eyebrow and narrowed her eyes.

"What's the big idea?" She asked him.

"Just seeing whether you were awake or not." Sesshomaru explained and then moved over to a ice chest they had brought with them. He opened it up and pulled out a bottle of juice. Kagome recognized it quickly and smiled as he handed it to her. It was the same kind she got from the cafe the first time she had eaten lunch with everyone.

"Yum!" Kagome opened up the bottle and drank.

"Cute!" Kikyo mumbled under her breath while smiling. The group rested for a while. It was already going on five, so it began to get dark. Inuyasha offered to take Kikyo on a walk along the beach, and of course Miroku decided that was actually a very good idea and took Sango too. Sesshomaru sat for a while, thinking really hard on whether he should take Kagome. It was actually bothering him.

_'Okay... Should I take her or not?" _Sesshomaru thought to himself, a worried look moving onto his features as he thought harder and harder. _'I don't know... Would she even want to go? Yeah. I should ask her and take her the opposite direction of Inuyasha and Miroku. Wait! I know!" _Sesshomaru looked over to her and blinked a few times. She was staring at him. "Uh..."

"Are you okay?" She asked him.

"I'm fine." He nodded and then stood up, "I was wondering if you would like to go on a walk with me?"

"Oh..." Kagome looked up to him and then looked around, "What if someone steals our stuff? Shouldn't we stay here to watch it?"

_'Damn it! Didn't even think of that.' _Sesshomaru yelled at himself mentally and then looked off towards a large cliff that was down the way, "It's just a rented umbrella and a few drinks. I'm sure it will be okay. Not many people are here since it's getting darker."

"Oh, okay." Kagome nodded and then stood up. "Where do you want to go?"

"Up there." Sesshomaru pointed to the cliff he was looking at. Kagome nodded and went over to him, looping her arm with his. She laid her head on his shoulder as the two began to walk.

"So how come you want to go up there?" Kagome asked them as they made it to a stairway.

"It's beautiful." Sesshomaru said and the two began to walk up. They walked in silence until they made it to the cliff. Sesshomaru sat down on the edge, swinging his legs over the edge. Kagome soon followed suit and her head immediately returned to his shoulder. She watched as the sun went down over the ocean, creating an orange hue in the sky. It was relaxing and she agreed with him when it comes to it's beauty. The two sat in silence for a while, just watching until the sun was almost gone.

"Sesshomaru..." Kagome raised her head and turned to him. When he turned to look at her, there was no hesitation at all. She leaned forward and pressed her lips against his. He reacted with wide eyes at first, but they soon closed. His arms laced themselves around her body, pulling her into him. Sliding his tongue over her bottom lip, she opened her lips only slightly to allow passage. At first he took it slowly, slipping himself into her mouth until he felt her reply with her own.

A hot sensation moved over both of their bodies. They were each becoming rather excited and were reacting to each other with racing heart beats and slightly heavy breathing. Sesshomaru did his best to control himself, tightening his arms around her waist. Kagome was in a mind numbing state of ecstasy, as the kiss moved deeper. She didn't want to let him go. He pulled away. The two of them needed to catch their breaths. Their eyes opened and locked onto one another. Sesshomaru's hold loosened only slightly. Kagome bit her bottom lip and moved closer to him, wanting more, but unfortunately...

"Hey..." Inuyasha stepped over to them. Sesshomaru and Kagome's demeanor changed quickly. The two slowly turned to see Inuyasha standing above them. Their glares intensified, leaving the guy's hairs to stand on end as he backed away. The two stood up and fully faced him, their dull-like expressions being more frightening than ever. Inuyasha could feel the tension, the blood-lust coming from them both. He really should not have interrupted them. A dark aura loomed over their bodies, lightning and thunder booming in his own imagination as his fear increased.

"What?" Kagome spoke out in a low and threatening manner.

"W-W-We were going to h-head b-back to the room. W-we didn't want you guy's left behind." Inuyasha stuttered the entire way through the sentence.

"Alright." Sesshomaru nodded and both he and Kagome began walking towards Inuyasha. They passed him by and continued their way back to the hotel with Kikyo, Sango, and Miroku. Inuyasha took his time catching up, cursing himself under his breath.

"We were thinking of heading to that fair that is always on the dock a couple miles down." Kikyo explained to Kagome as they all made it to the room. "It's got a huge Ferris Wheel that was in construction last time we came, so we weren't able to go on it."

"They say it's supposed to be really romantic." Sango said with an excited tone and then leaned in to whisper into Kagome's ear, "I saw you and Sesshomaru locking lips back there. Nice one!"

"Huh?" Kagome's eyes widened and she looked back towards Sango. She and Kikyo were both smiling at her with an 'I know what you were doing' message written all over their faces. Kagome just smiled softly and looked forward again. They made it back to the hotel and were only semi-dry. Everyone went to their respective rooms, saying goodnight to one another as if they wouldn't see each other for the rest of the evening. It was only seven o'clock, so why would they be going to bed?

"Night Kagome!" Kikyo and Sango waved to her, "You two behave now." The girls giggled and closed the doors to their rooms. Kagome just blinked in confusion and then looked up to Sesshomaru who was shaking his head in slight embarrassment.

"I guess it's time for us to go to bed too?" Kagome said to him and walked into their room. She went towards the bathroom and looked into the shower, "I have sand in places I didn't know existed... Can I take a shower before I go to bed?" She looked over to Sesshomaru who was closing their door. He did lock it, but neither of them thought too much of that. It was more out of habit.

"You're asking me permission?" Sesshomaru looked towards her with an eyebrow raised, "Kagome, you can do whatever you wish to do. You don't need my permission, okay?" She nodded to him and stepped into the bathroom. She turned on the hot water and stripped herself of his jersey. Taking off her bra and underwear, she smacked herself in the forehead. She didn't bring any other underwear. What the hell was she going to do now? She looked around and saw some white robes. Those would work until these dried. Before she got into the shower, she washed the sand and salt water from her under wear, wrung them out, and then hung them over a towel rack to dry.

Finally stepping into a nice warm shower, she began rinsing the sand from her body. She did her best to remove it from crevices that she didn't realize she had. Having sand in areas like that was very uncomfortable. Once she was clean, she began rinsing it all from her hair as well. Soon she was done and able to leave the shower feeling very refreshed. She grabbed onto a robe and put it on, tying the belt around her waist. She stepped out of the bathroom and saw Sesshomaru standing up against the wall. She blinked a couple of times as he stepped towards her.

"It's my turn for a shower." he told her and slid passed her with a change of clothes. Kagome smiled back to him as he closed the door and then walked over to the bed. Once again she was blessed with the ability to sleep on a extremely comfortable mattress with fluffy blankets and plump pillows. One day she will pay Sesshomaru back for all of the comfort and kindness he had shown her since they met.

About twenty minutes passed and Sesshomaru finally returned. He took a longer shower than she had, which was shocking to her since he was a guy. He stepped out in some shorts and a shirt. He looked over to her and smiled. She was laying under the blankets. They covered her petite body completely. The only reason he knew she was there was because she allowed her head to stick out. She looked over to him and smiled, sitting up fully.

"Do you feel better?" She asked nicely and he nodded, walking over to his side of the bed. "How come you take so long in the shower?" Her question shocked him. He just turned towards her, staring blankly at her until she realized why. In his opinion, that was a 'duuhhh' moment. "Oh..." she giggled slightly when she noticed something, "Your hair. No wonder it's always so perfect." He nodded and slid under the blankets. He grabbed the TV remote and turned it on. "What are you going to do?"

"Just watch a movie or something." He said while flipping through channels, "Once it's over, I'll go to sleep and tomorrow we can head to that fair Sango was talking about."

"Oh, okay." Kagome said with a smile and then turned away from him. She laid her head onto her pillow and closed her eyes, thinking to herself, _'What am I doing? Was I serio- Oh wow! I was really going to try and... Oi!' _She shook herself from her thoughts and did her best to relax until she felt the bed shift.

"Goodnight Kagome..." Sesshomaru whispered into her ear, placing a soft kiss on her cheek. She turned to look up at him and smiled.

"Goodnight Sesshomaru." She said softly, reaching up to push his hair behind his ear. He leaned down again, placing another quick kiss on her lips. With that, an extremely happy Kagome turned over and soon fell asleep. After a movie, Sesshomaru did the same, moving as close to her as he could.

**END OF CHAPTER!**

**You guys have no clue what dirty minded things were coming through my brain while writing this! Lol. I had to fight to make them keep it slow... ;) If you know what I mean.**

**Reviews Appreciated!**


	14. A Week At The Beach Part Two

Chapter 14: A Week At The Beach _ Part Two

Kagome awoke to a warm sensation and a unwavering sense of security. Her eyes slowly opened. She tried moving, but realized that she couldn't. It took her a second to collect her thoughts an realize where she was, but once she did she smiled. Sesshomaru's arms were wrapped firmly around her body, her back up against his chest and her head lying on top of his arm. She had never felt so cozy in her life. She cuddled herself back into him, but stopped when she heard a low sound coming from him. She looked back to him, seeing that his eyes were still closed, but his arms had tightened around her.

"_Someone doesn't want to let me go..." _Kagome thought to herself. She smiled. This was something that she truly didn't mind. She thought back to a time that she would have froze up, began crying, and panicking in such a situation, but with Sesshomaru she didn't feel the need. It even shocked her that she was able to slightly open up with Sango, Kikyo, Inuyasha, and Miroku. She hadn't told them anything about her past, but she still talked to them and felt okay enough to stay close to them if they were alone in the same room. There was still a slight hesitation, but not much. She was actually slightly proud of herself and how far she had come. Maybe she could finally let everything go and move on with her life.

"Sesshomaru..." she whispered to him, trying to get him to wake so she could move. He didn't budge. A worried look came on her face when she suddenly felt like she needed to go to the bathroom. "Ah!" she struggled against his hold, but he was too strong for her. "Sesshomaru!" she said a bit louder and his eyes finally opened. "I need to go potty!" she told him and he let her go. She hopped out of bed and hurried over to the bathroom. It didn't take her long, but after washing her hands she finally came back out.

"Sorry about that..." He said to her as he sat up and stretched out his arms.

"It's fine. It was cute." Kagome told him as she walked around the side of the bed and towards him, "It was like you didn't want to let me go." She walked into him and placed a kiss on his forehead.

"Kagome..." Sesshomaru placed his hands on her waist and looked up to her, "What does it mean to you when you kiss me?" His question surprised her a bit. She sat down on the bed next to him and looked to the floor. She thought for a while on what exactly it meant. The time she took thinking about it only made Sesshomaru more and more nervous.

"I don't know..." she laid back onto the bed and stared up at the ceiling, "My Mom... I mean the one who adopted me, not my birth bother... She used to tell me that when you kissed someone it meant you loved them." She rolled over on her side and looked up to him, "And then she'd say that depending on the type of kiss depends on the type of love. When Momma gave me a kiss, she'd always kiss my forehead or my cheek and say that she loved me, but when she'd kiss Dad it was much different. There was a look in her eyes that she never gave anyone but him."

"So... which type of kiss did you give me?" Sesshomaru asked, sounding a little nervous.

"What type do you think?" She sat up and looked him straight in the eyes. He stared back at her, not sure on how to answer that question. He knew the type of kiss that he gave her, but what if hers wasn't the same? She had gone through so much in her life, would it mean the same to her as it did to him? He had no clue and it truly frightened him.

"I don't know." was his reply and he went to turn away from her. She stopped him by placing a hand on his cheek and making him face her again.

"I gave you the same type of kiss that a girl would give the man she loved, Sesshomaru." she told him and he gave a faint smile. He took in a deep breath and looked to the floor. "Are you okay? Was that bad or something?" Kagome's eyes widened and she went to back away.

"No." He shook his head and pulled her into him, "Not at all, Kagome. I was sort of worried that you didn't feel the same way I did. I wouldn't know how to react if you didn't say that."

"I love you." Kagome said sincerely, taking the more blunt road and telling him exactly what she felt for him. Sesshomaru's arms tightened around her and he nodded.

"I love you too, Kagome." Sesshomaru told her and she looked back up to him. She went for another kiss when a sudden knock came to the door.

"Hey, are you two awake yet?" Miroku's voice echoed through the room. "It's already eleven! We've been waiting for the passed hour!"

"That's it..." Kagome's face changed to an extreme rage, even startling Sesshomaru. She jumped up and went to the door. Opening it up, the only thing anyone could see was Miroku's body flying backwards and a very angry, half-naked Kagome standing there. "We'll be ready... In a minute..." she said in a low growl and slammed the door behind her when returning into the room. Inuyasha could be heard busting out laughing as Miroku was helped to his feet. "Irritating... First your brother and now him!"

"Kagome..." Sesshomaru smiled rather proudly of her, "I didn't know you could hit like that."

"I haven't ever done it before..." She held up her now sore hand and shook it, "And it really hurt. Ow!" She rubbed her knuckles and walked over to the bathroom. She went to see if her underwear was done drying and to her luck, it was! She quickly changed into it and then peeked out of the bathroom, "Um... Can you hand me something to wear?"

"You said you didn't want to wear any of these clothes because they showed too much, right?" He asked and she nodded.

"I can't go back to my other clothes... it's really all I've got..." Kagome sighed and kept her body hidden behind the bathroom wall. Sesshomaru shrugged and tossed her a pair of blue jeans and a white shirt that tied around the back of the neck, showing off the upper back. She quickly changed into the clothes and walked out, making sure to keep him from seeing her back. "Do you... have a jacket?"

"Yeah... It's in my suitcase." He said now dressed in clean clothes. He wore black jeans and a white shirt. "I don't think you'll need it though. It's pretty warm outside."

"I know, but I still want it..." She walked over to his suitcase and began looking through his things. He walked over to her and raised an eyebrow.

"Kagome... Why do you want a jacket?" He asked.

"I just want to wear one. I don't like showing so much skin." She said as she pulled his jacket out. She put it on and stood back up, pulling her hair out from under the back of the jacket. "Are you ready?"

"Sure." Sesshomaru smiled and the two of them walked out. Inuyasha and the rest were sitting down on the couches.

"You guys ready?" Sango said as they all stood up. Sesshomaru and Kagome nodded, the six of them heading towards the door. Leaving the hotel, they were met by their driver once more. They got into the car and they were off to the fair.

When they arrived, Kagome looked around with a slightly emotionless face. There were a lot of people there. Children running around, teenagers riding rides, while adults sat and talked around the food court area. The group stepped out of the car and went to the ticket line. Kagome kept her eyes on a really tall roller coaster, flinching a bit when she heard the teenagers scream. Although it was out of fun, hearing this was not going to be a good thing for her. She stepped closer to Sesshomaru, wrapping an arm around his and lacing her fingers within his own. He looked down to her. She kept her head lowered and looking to the floor.

"Are you okay?" He asked her and she looked up to him with a fake smile. She nodded and then looked away again, glancing around at the large amount of people. Sesshomaru could see that she was nervous about coming here, so he pulled his arm away from her, only to place it around her waist and pull her into him. He held onto her tightly and she rested her head happily on his shoulder.

Once the tickets were bought, the group walked in. Immediately Sango and Kikyo wanted to head to the Tunnel Of Love, but the boys protested. They agreed that would be something to do a bit later at night and the girls reluctantly agreed. The first ride they went to was the tea cups. Inuyasha and Miroku challenged Sesshomaru to see who would spin their cup faster, and Sesshomaru decided it would be a little fun to participate in his brothers antics. They got in line and Kagome watched the ride with a look of curiosity and slight excitement on her face. She leaned off to the side, over the metal bar that the park used to keep people in line to get a better look. Suddenly someone bumped into her and she stumbled forward. Sesshomaru caught her and looked back to see a couple of teenage guys trying to get ahead in line.

"Sorry, our friends are waiting for us." the guy said.

"Get... to the back... of the line..." Kagome turned to him and gave him a rather dull look.

"Our friends are waiting for us up there." The guy repeated, glaring at Kagome.

"You can wait the seven minutes it takes to get onto this ride." Kagome told him, her voice becoming slightly low and threatening, "The line isn't even very long. Everyone else has to wait. You can do it too. Get. To. The. Back. Of. The. Line. Now."

"LOOK CHI-" another guy began to yell, but Sango, Kikyo, and Inuyasha stepped up behind her. Sesshomaru glanced backwards with an aggravated glare, while Miroku moved behind the guy and his friends. "Whatever... Assholes." The guys turned away and walked to the back of the line like Kagome had told them to do. Kagome turned back towards the front and let out a held breath. She took Sesshomaru's hand, which he immediately noticed was trembling and smiled to her.

"Taking them on when you're scared..." Sesshomaru mumbled where only she could hear.

"It might sound bad to say this..." Kagome closed her eyes and lowered her head slightly, "But I did it because I was with you... I knew that you guys wouldn't let them hurt me."

"I see." Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow at her, "That's fine, Kagome."

"It sort of makes me feel like I used you..." Kagome looked back up to him.

"No. You're not. I am glad you trust me. That is all." He told her as the line moved up and it was their turn to get on. The two stepped over to their own tea cup and sat down.

"Um..." Kagome looked around, "Where are the seat belts?"

"Not on this ride, hun." Sesshomaru explained as he shut and locked the small metal gate. Kagome nodded and then waited for the ride to start.

"Bring it on, brother!" Inuyasha shouted from his cup as he and Kikyo closed there gate and got ready.

"**All passengers please keep your arms and legs inside the ride at all time." **the announcer began and they all got ready, **"If you wish to spin your cup then grab onto the wheel in front of you and give it a nice turn. Please enjoy your ride and here... we... go..."**

A loud click was heard along with a hiss of air being released. The ride began to move, going around in a continuous circle. Sesshomaru reached out for the wheel and with all of his strength began to turn it to the best of his abilities. The cup began to turn, the pressure of being spun pushing both him and Kagome into the sides of the tea cup. Kagome reached forward and did her best to help, there hands moving over one another's while they spun the tea cup.

"**It seems we have a competition on the Tea Cup Ride!" **the announcer said having heard Inuyasha's challenge to Sesshomaru, **"Let's see which one of these people can spin their cups the fastest! People in the line! Help me out here! You be the judge!" **

Inuyasha and Kikyo heard the announcer make their little game into a ride-wide competition and couldn't help but get the competitive juices flowing. The two kicked it into full gear, using their feet to press against the sides of the tea cup to give them a better hold and spin faster. Sango and Miroku didn't seem to care about this competition. The two were enjoying themselves, cuddling up next to each other and watching their friends when the cups passed by.

The announcer said that there were only thirty seconds left in the ride, so to have everyone really pay attention. Kikyo was becoming slightly tired and her stamina began to wear off. Kagome on the other hand was doing all right, while the men were of course fine. They spun and spun until a loud clicking was heard and the ride began to slow down, taking away their control of the cup. Slightly worn out, both Inuyasha and Sesshomaru let go of the wheel and waited for the ride to come to a stop. Once it had, the brothers took a step out of their cups. Everyone began to clap and the announcer asked who the audience was going to go for. They voted with an applause and like Inuyasha thought was going to happen, Sesshomaru won.

"Ah! It's just because the girls think you're sooo dreeeaaammyyyy." Inuyasha waved off his brother, laughing as he mocked him. Sesshomaru said nothing, but instead helped Kagome out of the tea up. She had a look of excitement on her face, biting her bottom lip.

"Let's... do that again." Kagome said.

"Again?" Kikyo and Sango came over to her, "Nah... Let's ride something else!"

"Like what?" Kagome asked.

"Hm... How about that?" Kikyo pointed to a roller coaster next to them. It was rather high, consisting of multiple loops and straight drops. Kagome blinked and nodded. "You won't be scared will you?"

"No." Kagome shook her head and took Sesshomaru's hand, walking him over to the line for the roller coaster that Kikyo had pointed out. The entire time through the line, Kagome was talking to the girls while Miroku and Inuyasha talked. About twenty minutes passed and it was finally there turn. Kagome sat down in her seat quickly, Sesshomaru soon following after. "Are you okay?" she asked him, noticing his emotionless expression. He only nodded.

She gave him a concerned look. As he sat down, he tucked his hair in the back of his shirt, which was honestly a very smart idea since it was so long. As everyone else began to sit down, he took a hold of her hand and squeezed rather tightly. He of course did not notice it. She looked to him even more concerned, but he didn't look towards her. He was nervous and he could tell. She looked around as everyone began to get ready and the ride was ready to start. He took in a stressed breath, and slowly let it out, swallowing nervously. The people came around to check the seat belts and lower the bar that came over their shoulders. Once that was done, Kagome felt him tense up and lay his head back.

"S-STOP!" She suddenly yelled out and the employees looked to her.

"Are you okay, miss?" a young woman asked and she shook her head no.

"I can't. I'm afraid of heights I can't do this." Kagome said sounding rather desperate, "Let me off.. Please..." Inuyasha and Kikyo looked towards one another slightly disappointed, while Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow. She seemed excited to get on this while they were in the line, so why would she back down now?

"Kagome, are you sure?" Sango called out and asked.

"Y-Yes, please just get me off of this thing." She closed her eyes and the employee nodded to the man controlling the ride. Soon the half of the coaster that they were on unlocked and she quickly stood up and walked away. Sesshomaru jumped out of his seat and went after her.

"We'll see you at the exit, okay?" Miroku called out and Sesshomaru nodded back to him.

Sesshomaru walked down a path to get to where Kagome was. She was leaning up against a wall with a smile on her face while she stared up at the sky. He knew then. A relieved sigh escaped him as he walked over to her. He said nothing, but gladly slid his arms around her and pulled her into him. She closed her eyes and happily returned his loving embrace. She felt him place a kiss on her cheek and then they released one another.

"Thank you..." Sesshomaru whispered to her and walked her over to a bench.

"You should have told me you were afraid of heights, or roller coasters... Or whatever you're afraid of back there... I would rather not force you to go on something that you won't enjoy." She slid her hand into his, lacing the fingers as she kissed his cheek. At that moment the roller coaster went off. The two of them could hear Sango and Kikyo screaming as they were riding down a large drop in the ride. Part of the ride came right over their heads, the low yet loud rumble causing Kagome to tense a bit.

"It's heights..." He told her and she nodded, laying her head on his shoulder. The two of them sat in silence until Inuyasha and the rest came out of the exit.

"That was awesome!" Inuyasha yelled out and went over to his brother, nudging him, "Dude, you missed out on one hell of a ride."

"No..." Miroku said with a sick sounding voice. "You really didn't..." Miroku went over to a trash can and threw up. Sango smiled softly at him while rubbing his back to make sure he felt better. Once he did feel better, Sango and Kikyo looked to Kagome with confused looks.

"Kagome... You said you weren't going to be scared. How come that changed?" Sango asked.

"I just got scared..." she lowered her gaze to the floor, "I was going to try, but when I got on it, the fear just increased to the point where I knew that if I did I would feel sick..." She sighed and looked up with a mischievous smile, "And I don't want to end up like Miroku."

"Haha!" Inuyasha laughed and hit Miroku's shoulder, "Weak ass. What kind of man is scared of a little roller coaster?"

"Oh shut up, Inuyasha..." Miroku elbowed him in the side.

"What ride should we go on next?" Kagome asked as she stood up and looked around.

The group continued around the park until they had ridden almost every single ride. As it got later, more and more people kept showing up, making lines longer and waits more tiring. The group finally decided it was about time to leave and go get something for dinner. As they weaved themselves through the crowd, people were bumping into them left and right. Someone who wasn't paying attention bumped into Sesshomaru and Kagome, causing the two to become separated. A burst of amusement park traffic seemed to come in at the most horrible time ever. Kagome was pushed back slightly, while Sesshomaru was pushed forward. Kagome fell.

"Kagome?" She could hear Sesshomaru calling out her name. She looked towards him, but he was facing the opposite direction. She went to call out for him, but some child bumped into her and fell. She helped the child up and dusted him off as quickly as she could. Looking up, Sesshomaru was gone.

"No..." Kagome mumbled under her breath as she looked around desperately for him. She couldn't see anything. The amount of people on the pier was increasing exceptionally. She began forcing her way through everyone, trying to find her friends. "Shit!" she suddenly felt a familiar state of dread move over her. She was lost in this place.

People around her once again became the enemy. She moved through the crowd frantically, pushing people aside with no concern for their well being. People stared at her as if she were some sort of freak. She began to sweat. Coming to the edge of the dock, she grabbed desperately onto the railing. She looked around again. People were watching her, whispering back and forth to each other. Others went on with their business, but it began to feel as if she could hear what they were saying. Her vision became warped, her breathing heavier by the second, her heart was racing. She needed help.

"Hey, are you okay?" A nice young man came over to her, but was rewarded with an intense glare. He just backed away from her and went with his friends. "Sorry lady..."

"He was just trying to help." One of his friends said and they walked away. Kagome began walking along the pier, looking at the ocean below. She had almost forgot that it was a dock that this place was on. She placed a hand on her forehead and closed her eyes. She was getting a headache.

"Hey, you're that bitch from earlier." A slightly familiar voice came to her. She looked to see the guy she had forced to the back of the line on the tea cups ride. She just waved him off and tried walking away, but was grabbed by her upper arm. "Not so brave when you're friends aren't around, are you?"

"Get off of me..." she mumbled as she closed her eyes tightly, opening them to see that nothing had changed and her vision was still slightly blurry and warped.

"You owe me an apology." the guy demanded, forcing her to face him. He pushed her backside up against the railing of the dock and bent her over backwards as if to threaten to drop her off and into the ocean below. "I suggest you apologize." Kagome glanced down to the ocean, her eyes seeming to bring it in closer than it actually was, showing her that she really was off her norm.

"I-I ca-.. I ca-" she tried to speak, but her breathing was becoming labored. She was having a panic attack. A sharp pain hit her chest and she gasped loudly.

"Whoa... Are you okay?" the guy said pulling her back to stand normally, "I wasn't actually going to do anything. I'm sorry if I hurt you." She shook her head and dropped down to her knees. He knelt down next to her, seeing that she was beginning to sweat even more and that her chest was rising and falling at a rapid rate.

"I ca- I can't... breathe..." she said, wheezing slightly as she tried to breath.

"Oh shit. I uh.. What do I do?" He began to panic and looked around, "Hey! Is anyone a doctor?" People started to stop and look to see what was wrong. They all began to watch Kagome like a hawk would his prey. No one was taking their eyes off of her. She felt like she was being smothered. She tried forcing herself to her feet, but fell onto her stomach. "Hey, stop moving."

"Kagome!" A familiar voice called out and she looked up to see Miroku running towards her. He did not hesitate to pick her up. He ignored everyone around her and began running her back towards everyone.

"Miroku..." she struggled to speak as her breathing was becoming slightly normal, "Where is Sesshomaru?"

"He's looking for you!" He told her as he continued to run until he got to the end of the dock. Sango was there waiting. "I've got her!"

"Thank god!" Sango said and closed her cell phone. "Kagome, are you okay?"

"Yeah... I feel better now..." Kagome said and took in a deep breath. "Where is Sesshomaru?"

"He, Inuyasha, and Kikyo are still looking for you." Sango explained with a smile, "I'll give him a call to tell him you are all right."

"All right my ass. What was that back there?" Miroku asked her, "You were sweating and breathing heavy... What happened? Why did you fall?"

"Don't mention any of that to Sesshomaru." She asked him seriously, "I don't want him to worry. I just had a panic attack. I haven't been out like this and when we got separated, I was alone. It's not something I am used to yet, so please just leave it be..."

"Okay, fine... But I'm getting you a cell phone." Miroku narrowed his eyes.

"No. I don't need one." Kagome shook her head and Miroku was about to speak back, but Kikyo had come back and tackled Kagome into a tight hug.

"Oh my god! You scared us!" Kikyo said smiling.

"Yes, you did." Inuyasha took a deep breath and sat down on a bench.

"Where's Sesshomaru?" Kikyo asked.

"He's coming." Sango said as she hung up her cell phone, "But Miroku is right. We're going to get you a cell phone. If you had one, you could have just called and told us where you were."

"Yeah. It would be a good idea." Kikyo agreed and then sat down with Inuyasha.

"Here..." Miroku handed Kagome a napkin. She smiled and took it, wiping off her face and neck. She went over to a trash can to throw it away. As she came back, Sesshomaru appeared from the crowd and their driver pulled up next to them.

"Before you say anything... I'm fine." She smiled up to him.

"Good..." Sesshomaru let out a relieved sigh and wrapped an arm around her. Placing a small kiss on her forehead, the two walked over to the car and got in.

"She's going to be my sister one day..." Inuyasha said with a slight smirk.

"Yeah, more than likely." Kikyo said and kissed Inuyasha's cheek. "Come on.. Let's go."

The group went into the car and drove back to the hotel. Once they returned to their rooms, they already had a large dinner waiting for them. Their driver had called ahead to the hotel to have everything ready for when they arrived. The group sat around the table and enjoyed some spaghetti, garlic bread, and salad. Although it wasn't the fanciest of dishes, it was Inuyasha and Sesshomaru's favorite to eat, which the girl's instantly figured out when the two asked for seconds, then thirds, and then put some in the mini fridge for tomorrow.

"Ah!" Inuyasha sat back in his chair, tapping his stomach, "I'm stuffed."

"As am I." Sesshomaru wiped his face with a cloth and pushed his plate away from him.

"Well you should be with how much you both ate." Sango raised an eyebrow at the two of them. She and everyone but the two brothers had been done for a while, waiting for the two of them to finish.

"Where did it all go?" Kagome blinked, staring at the stomach of the two.

"The both of their stomach are bottomless pits... Black holes, if you will." Miroku began to explain in a creepy voice, "Any time the two of them are given a meal such as this, it is because the demon within their soul's is starving. They must eat to feed it, keeping it at bay for some time. Otherwise... it would eat the two of them from the inside ou-"

"Shut up Miroku..." Inuyasha rolled his eyes at the guy.

"No, no... I want to hear where this one is going." Kagome looked back towards Miroku, waiting for him to finish.

"Ahem! As I was saying..." Miroku then continued, "Otherwise it would eat the two of them from the inside out, devouring everything within it's path until it finds another host body strong enough to hold it's malevolent power!"

"Yeah... Kagome you should have just made him stop." Sango shot Miroku an irritated glare.

"Why? That was hilarious." Kagome began to laugh a bit and then stood up. She began to pick up the plates and felt awkward when everyone looked at her weird, "WHAT?"

"Kagome... House keeping is paid to do that." Sesshomaru explained as he stood up, "While we're sleeping, they'll come in here and clean everything, restocking the fridge, and taking the dishes. You don't have to do that."

"Oh.. Okay." Kagome just set them all back down and went to the room, closing the door behind her.

"Why did she wear that jacket all day?" Inuyasha asked his brother, being answered with a shrug and shake of the head.

Sesshomaru went to the room and walked in. He looked around to see that Kagome was taking off her jacket, but there was something underneath. He narrowed his eyes as if to get a closer look, but then Kagome saw him. Her eyes widened and she turned her back away from him. He raised an eyebrow and stepped towards her.

"What was that?" Sesshomaru asked her. She said nothing. She shot a warning glare at him. She didn't want him to see it. "Do not look at me like that. What was that on your back?"

"... A scar." she sighed and looked away as if she were deeply ashamed of herself.

"Is that why you wanted to wear the jacket?" Sesshomaru asked and she nodded yes. "And why you were so worried about wearing a bathing suit?" Once again she nodded. He sighed and shook his head at her. "Kagome... That isn't something that you have to be embarrassed about or ashamed of. There is nothing wrong with having a little scar."

"A little scar?" She looked to him with narrowed eyes. She suddenly began to take off her shirt. At first he was going to look away, but then decided not to. There was obviously something that she wanted to show him. Once the shirt was off, she turned her back to him and his eyes widened. The scar went from her upper left shoulder, all the way down to her right side, stopping a few inches to the side of the belly button. "This... is not a little scar and every day it reminds me of that fucking night. It's disgusting. It's ugly. I hate it!"

"Kagome... It's not." Sesshomaru walked over to her. She kept her back to him, her head lowered as she began to feel slightly insecure. She jumped slightly, feeling chills slither up her spine when he placed a finger at the top of her scar and traced it all the way down to her side. Once he got to the bottom of it, he wrapped his arm around her and placed her back against his chest. She looked up to him, still feeling slightly embarrassed. "You... are beautiful Kagome..." he said, leaning down and placing his lips softly against hers. Once the kiss broke, she smiled up at him.

"Thank you..." Kagome said as tears flowed down her cheeks. All he did was smile back and kiss her forehead. She smiled and wiped the tears away, walking over to the bed. She sat down and kicked off her shoes and slid her pants off. "I'm glad you don't find it disgusting... I don't have to worry about you seeing it anymore."

"So... now you're going to sleep half-naked?" Sesshomaru asked with a flirtatious raise of his eyebrow.

"Is that what you want?" Kagome blinked and looked up to him. "I don't have any pajamas and those robes always make it too hot."

"Sure. You can if you want. I don't mind." Sesshomaru shrugged and took off his shirt. He took everything except for his boxers off and walked over to his side of the bed, "Want to watch a movie?"

"S-sure..." Kagome blinked as she watched him. Before now she had never truly been interested with the male body, but when seeing Sesshomaru, her curiosity was spiked. He sat down on the bed and turned on the TV. She scooted over to him and laid her head on his chest. Sesshomaru blushed slightly at her breasts rubbing up against his side, but quickly pushed it off. The two enjoyed a movie together, but before it was over Sesshomaru had fallen asleep. Kagome smiled and turned off the TV, closing her eyes and continuing to use Sesshomaru's well toned chest as her own pillow.

**END OF CHAPTER!**

**REVIEWS ARE APPRECIATED!**


	15. A Week At The Beach Part Three

Chapter Fifteen: A Day At The Beach _ Part Three

Kagome was truly enjoying her vacation with her friends and Sesshomaru, but something was weighing on her mind. It was the six day of their time off and the fourth day since she had finally confessed her love to Sesshomaru and showed him her body, so why hasn't he made a move yet? Obviously her mind wasn't in the most normal of places, but it actually did bug her. From her experience, it was something that men seemed to want and would do anything to get it, especially if it was from her. She wanted to ask him about it, but was extremely embarrassed at the idea. This wasn't the only thing that bugged her. She had come to the conclusion that he might not think of her as his girlfriend. They had not officially said anything about being a couple, so what was going through his mind about it? She wanted to ask him if they could officially become a couple, but didn't know how to go about doing it. He said he loved her and she definitely loved him. The thought also crossed her mind that he was only trying to be nice when saying that her scar was fine. What if he didn't actually mean it and was disgusted with the idea of laying with her? It was only making her more and more insecure every time she thought about it, but she couldn't help it! It was plaguing her mind more than anything.

What should she do?

Kagome had woken up much earlier than anyone else. It was almost the last day of their vacation. They would be returning home tomorrow. She sat up from bed and looked to the clock. Seeing that it was seven in the morning, she rubbed her eyes and stretched her back. Looking down to Sesshomaru, she felt a bit of dread hit her stomach and sighed. The feeling of being insecure was increasing with every passing day. She needed to figure out something to do. Deciding not to dwell on the thought, she stood up from bed and walked towards their luggage. She saw a small white spring dress and smiled, thinking that it would do just fine for today. She did her best to freshen herself up and put it on. Keeping quiet, she snuck her way out of the room, glancing back to her sleeping love before she closed the door. She walked over to the window and looked out to the beach. They hadn't been since that first day, but she really wanted to go back. She had so much fun diving under and body surfing over the waves. And although their romantic moment on the cliff was interrupted by an idiotic younger brother, she sort of wanted to relive that moment.

"Good morning Kagome..." Sango came out of her room, quietly closing the door behind her. "Is yours still sleeping too?" Sango asked as she walked over beside Kagome.

"Mine?" Kagome blinked and then giggled when she realized she was talking about Sesshomaru, "Yes, he is still asleep. They're cute when they're sleeping, aren't they?"

"Yes, they are." Sango agreed and then looked out to the ocean, "Have you ever been to a beach before this?" Kagome nodded to answer her question, but was slightly saddened by it. "Are you okay? Did something bad happen last time you went to a beach?"

"No..." Kagome shook her head, "Has Sesshomaru told you guys anything? You know... about me?"

"Ha... hell no." Sango chuckled a bit, "We've asked him to spill it, but he just gives us the death glare and we have to leave him alone about it. He really cares about you... It's wonderful, although very shocking to see him truly give his heart to someone. I don't know what you did, but I am glad you did it, Kagome. We all owe you one."

"What do you mean? Sesshomaru is the one that brought me out of my bubble." Kagome asked her.

"Yeah, but you brought him out of his as well." Sango began to explain, "I don't know whether he told you, but he has had a slightly bad life as well."

"You mean with his Mom leaving so suddenly?" Kagome tilted her head to the side.

"Yeah..." Sango nodded, "That isn't it though... After that he went though a really rough time. He left home and dropped from school for a long time. He had practically disappeared on us for two years. I was told that during that time he had been on the street, working for gangs, and dealing drugs. He never wanted to come home because of everything that went on with his Father and Inuyasha's Mother."

"What?" Kagome's eyes widened in shock. "H-He hasn't told me any of this."

"I doubt that he would tell you... He's changed a lot since then." Kikyo suddenly spoke out and walked over to the both of them, "That was a time in Sesshomaru's life that he wants to forget."

"I see..." Kagome looked back to Kikyo. The three girls went to sit down on the couch to wait for the men to wake up.

"You know how you are the only eighteen year old to be a Junior at our school?" Sango asked and Kagome nodded.

"Yeah, well... Sesshomaru is the only twenty year old." Kikyo said with a sigh, "We try to keep his age a secret because we don't want anyone messing with him about it. He's older than everyone."

"What we told you, Kagome... We need you to keep it a secret until Sesshomaru feels like he could tell you, okay? " Kikyo asked her, almost sounding desperate. Kagome nodded and they sat in silent for a few minutes. A click of a door handle was heard and they looked up to see Inuyasha stepping out of the room. Soon after, Miroku came out of his room and Sesshomaru out of his. The girl's were just keeping silent, which left Kagome to her own thoughts once again.

"_Why didn't he tell me all of this?" _Kagome asked herself, not noticing that the guy's had come out of their rooms, _"Does he not trust me? Did he think I would think less of him or something. If so, he's being a dumb ass. People go through horrible things. It doesn't mean I would think of him any differently..."_

"Kagome...?" someone called her name, but they got no answer.

"_I guess I'll just do what Kikyo said and keep it to myself until he decides to tell me." _She thought to herself again, content with what she had come up with to handle the situation.

"Kagome?" Sango waved her hand in front of Kagome's eyes, finally snapping her from her thoughts.

"Yeah?" Kagome looked to Sango and then around the room, "Oh.. Good morning." She smiled to them all and then stood up, giving Miroku the seat next to Sango. She went over to Sesshomaru and whispered something into his ear.

"Sure..." Sesshomaru nodded and looked out the window. "We can go if you want." Kagome got excited and began to walk towards the room to get what she had swam in before, "But you have to eat something first..."

"Fine..." Kagome sighed and called out for room service. Once they arrived with everyone's breakfast, it soon became a quick meal full of idle chitchat. Once everyone was ready, the entire group agreed that returning to the beach would be nice for the day.

Finally making it to the shore, the group set up their little camp and spread out a few towels along with a couple of chairs. Everyone wore the same thing they wore the last time they were there, except for Kagome. Although on the outside she was wearing the jersey, under it was a cute bikini that she was trying to get up the guts to show off for Sesshomaru. As everyone went into the water, she stood on the sand with a nervous look on her face. She stared down at the sand, squishing it between her toes as she thought hard on whether she would get into the water with or without his jersey.

"Hey, Kagome!" Sango called out, waving to her from the water, "Come into the water!" Kagome looked up to her and waved back. She took in a deep breath and nodded. She dropped the shorts and pulled the shirt off over her head. Trying to push off the insecurity she felt when looking back down to her scar, she made her way over to the ocean and shyly walked into the water.

"Oh look at her." Kikyo smirked as she motioned everyone to look towards Kagome. She was wearing a plain white bikini, but her perfectly shaped figure and nicely sized breasts filled it out perfectly. She moved deeper into the water, the waves splashing over her body as she moved towards the group. Now in the water up to her breasts, she looked up to Sesshomaru with crimson red cheeks.

"You look wonderful." He told her and her nerves calmed. She splashed a bit of water onto his face and smiled. Immediately a water war went on until a wave came in and knocked them all off their feet. Kagome came up first, followed by Inuyasha and Kikyo. She looked around and saw that Miroku was stealing Sango away.

"Where's Sesshomaru?" Kagome said as she looked around the area. Suddenly she felt little pricks at her sides and jumped, laughing a bit.

"Right here." Sesshomaru said, tickling her. Another wave came in onto the group, but this time much larger than before. All four of them were knocked off their feet once more, except someone was unable to catch themselves and was pulled of. Sesshomaru and Inuyasha were the first to rise out of the water. They looked around coughing trying to push out the water they had accidentally inhaled. They two looked around for the girls, but couldn't see them. After a few seconds one of the jumped out of the water gasping for air.

"Kikyo!" Inuyasha yelled out and grabbed her by the wrist, "Wait... Kagome?" Inuyasha began to panic as he saw his brother's woman and not his. She began coughing and he pushed her over to Sesshomaru, looking around in a frenzy still trying to spot his beloved. "KIKYO!"

"Sesshomaru..." Kagome said through coughs, "Help him find her..." She began walking towards the shore, holding her chest. Sesshomaru immediately went deeper into the water and searched for Kikyo.

"Inuyasha! Look!" Miroku yelled from the shore. They looked over to him and saw him pointing out towards the ocean. The two looked over to see Kikyo laying face down in the water.

"We'll get the lifeguard!" Sango yelled out and her and Miroku ran off. Inuyasha swam over to her as quickly as possible. He turned her over and saw that she was unconscious with a large gash on top of her head. Sesshomaru came over and pulled Kikyo away from a now panicking Inuyasha. The two swam hectically to the shore, dragging Kikyo's body with them. Kagome ran over to them as they laid her down on the sand.

"She's not breathing!" Inuyasha placed a hand under her nose, but felt nothing and couldn't see her chest moving up and down. Kagome didn't hesitate to push him out of the way. She straightened Kikyo's body and raised her chin. Placing her hands on top of her chest and pressed down multiple times until she shifted to breaths. She placed her mouth over Kikyo's and pushed breath into her lungs. She continued this process until the lifeguard came, but it wasn't needed. Kikyo suddenly coughed up water and began to breathe again. Kagome pushed her onto her side and let out a relieved breath.

"God, Kikyo..." Inuyasha moved over to her and kissed her cheek. "Baby are you okay?" Trying to catch her breath, Kikyo nodded and sort of laughed at herself. "Why are you laughing? This isn't funny! You could have died!"

"I'm okay baby... I'm okay." Kikyo set a hand on Inuyasha's leg and smiled to him. The life guard came over and began working on the wound on Kikyo's head. Once she was bandaged up, the lifeguard apologized and left them alone. Kikyo seemed all right, but she still felt dizzy.

"Are you going to be okay?" Sango asked, kneeling down next to her.

"Yeah. I'm going to be fine. Just a headache." Kikyo stood up, getting slightly dizzy. Inuyasha grabbed and stabilized her so she would not fall. They all walked over to their spot on the beach and sat down in their respective seats. Sesshomaru sat down on one of the chairs, pulling Kagome into his lap. Kikyo took in a deep breath and pointed to the ice cooler. Inuyasha picked out a drink for her.

"God the ocean tastes like shit..." She said as she popped the bottle open and downed a large amount of juice. Everyone smiled and laughed at her statement.

"You probably had a lot of fish shit in your mouth." Miroku said, obviously making fun of her.

"Oh shut up." Kikyo shot a glare towards him.

"Sesshomaru..." Kagome looked back towards him, leaning her back against his chest. "What do you want to do now? I don't know why, but I don't think I want to get back into the water anymore."

"Haha... Yeah me either." Sango quickly agreed, along with everyone else.

"I don't know... What do you want to do?" Sesshomaru asked her, placing a kiss on her forehead.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait!" Inuyasha raised an eyebrow towards his brother and pointed back and forth between the two, "So... are you guys like... a thing?"

"Define thing." Sesshomaru asked him.

"That... is kinda what I wanted to talk to you about." Kagome looked towards him seriously. Sesshomaru suddenly got really nervous and nodded to her. The two of them stood up and decided it was about time to take a walk along the beach.

"So, what are you wanting to talk about?" Sesshomaru asked once they were far enough away from everyone else. He was very nervous, but did well hiding it. He gave her a completely blank stare, looking emotionless.

"W-Well... I was wondering what everything meant..." Kagome looked to the floor, her skin turning slightly pale. Her nerves were making her stomach hurt.

"What do you mean?" He looked away from her, staring straight forward.

"Well... What are we? I mean... uh... I told you I loved you, you told me you loved me, but we never talked about exactly what we were going to do about it. Do you want to be with me?" Kagome looked up to him desperately.

"Yes. I do, Kagome. I thought that came with telling you how I felt." He said with a rather stoic expression. He stopped walking and turned towards her, she following his movements.

"So... we are a couple?" Kagome asked for confirmation and he nodded, "Then why haven't you asked me to have sex with you?" Sesshomaru's eyes widened in shock, confusion, and looking slightly appalled at her statement. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. "Why won't you answer that?"

"Kagome..." Sesshomaru shook his head and looked away. He looked back towards her with a slight hint of anger in his eyes. He tried to control himself, but when he spoke she could tell very easily that he was pissed, "Why the hell would I ask you to have sex with me? We just now officially became a couple, and have only told each other how we felt a few days ago."

"Why are you so angry with me?" Kagome stepped back slightly, truly not understanding.

"What do you mean why?" Sesshomaru did his best to not yell, but that didn't help. Kagome flinched and looked away from him, towards the sand. "Sorry..." he took in a deep breath and slowly let it out to calm his own nerves, "It just bugs me to think that you would think I was that low."

"Low? How is that low?" Kagome looked up to him, tilting her head to the side.

"What do you mean how is that low? Any guy who sleeps with his girl within only a week of being with her, in my opinion is a manipulative dick and probably doesn't deserve her in the first place." He explained in a much calmer voice.

"I don't understand..." Kagome shook her head and took a step back again, moving farther away from him, "Every other guy... that wanted to have me... they..."

"They didn't love you." Sesshomaru told her with a content smile. Kagome looked up to him utterly confused, not knowing how to react to this. "Kagome... The people who have done things to your path hurt you. They didn't want to protect or love you for who you are. They wanted your body, to treat you like an object. I will not be doing that..."

"Well how is it supposed to go then?" she asked.

"What? A relationship?" he asked and she nodded yes. "Well... You get together, you hang out, have some private time, get to know one another more, and then later on... at least a couple of months, you can take that route."

"What if you feel like you trust that person enough to give yourself to them sooner than that?" she asked rather bluntly, shocking him again.

"Hm...? Well uh..." He looked away for a moment and sighed, rubbing his face. He looked back to her and then shrugged, "I don't know. Then I guess it happens, but why ask such a question?"

"If I answer that honestly, I am afraid you will think less of me or something..." She shook her head and looked to the ground, wiping away a single tear that formed in her eyes. She took in a deep breath and looked back up to him. He was just staring at her. He obviously wanted an answer. "I've... thought a few times about you and I... um... having sex."

"I-I see..." Sesshomaru blinked a couple of times and looked away. Although his morals told him he shouldn't move on her in such a way, he was still a man and temptation was a bit much at the moment. The fact is that he loves her, he wants her, and he was damn attracted to her, so to hear her say that she wanted to have sex with him a few times before only increases his desires towards her. "Well... I don't know what to say to that Kagome. I have lived my life trying to do everything in a way that I thought was smart and honorable. I don't want to be like my Father Kagome... I really don't." He shook his head and looked to her.

"I know..." Kagome nodded and moved closer to him, wrapping her arms around him, "I'm sorry... I just didn't understand why you hadn't made a move on me... I'm glad though. It proves that you are one hundred percent different than everyone before..." Kagome smiled as he wrapped his arms around her as well.

"Let's.. take it slow, okay?" Sesshomaru asked her and she nodded. He set his hand under her chin and made her look at him. He leaned in and placed his lips against hers. She immediately replied by pushing herself up to her tiptoes and wrapping her arms around the back of his neck. He slid both of his arms and pulled her body into his, both of them closing their eyes as they moved deeper into the kiss.

"Okay, I'm hungry..." Kikyo put a hand on her stomach and looked over to Kagome and Sesshomaru, "When the hell are those two going to be done? I want to eat!"

"Do. Not. Interrupt. Them." Both Inuyasha and Miroku said, speaking from experience. Kikyo and Sango looked to each other and then back to the guys. The two had a sour look on their faces and the girls began to laugh.

The rest of the day went rather well. There was no more swimming for fear of Kikyo's death or serious injury, but a picnic and walk lead them to a little coffee house that offered karaoke. They ended up spending hours there, trying to get Kagome to go up on stage and sing with them, but of course she refused. There were too many people in the area and she was too shy, although Inuyasha and Miroku didn't seemed to have a shy bone in their body. The two got on stage multiple times, even coming up with their own competition up against two other guys who were also trying to impress their girlfriends, but that didn't last. In the end the group had a good time and made it back to the hotel around six, just in time for a separate candlelit dinner for each couple in each of the bedrooms.

"Today was fun..." Kagome said as she set a napkin on the table in front of her. "I'm glad I got all of that off my chest and we were able to clear up a few... confusing ends." She smiled and he nodded to her in agreement.

"Yes. I still can't believe you have already imagined me naked." Sesshomaru said playfully as he finished chewing the last bite of his meal.

"What are you talking about?" She raised an eyebrow and he chuckled at her, "Oh.. I have not imagined you nake-... Okay maybe a couple of times, b-but I didn't know that it was too soon. I thought that was how relationships were supposed to go." She smiled innocently towards him.

"Yes, yes. That is how horribly wrong relationships go, but I like the fact that we have a good and honest relationship." He took a sip of his drink and then stood up. "Well I doubt we are going to be going out again tonight, so you want to watch a movie?"

"Sure. Let me change out of this jersey..." Kagome stood up and began to change. When they came back to the hotel, she decided to wear the jersey back for her own personal insecurity reasons. She took off the jersey and then looked over to Sesshomaru, "Um... What about this? Am I allowed to be in my underwear? I don't have any other pajama type clothes to wear."

"... Y-yeah, that's fine. You have a couple of times, so it's okay." Sesshomaru nodded nervously. He had not known of her confusion when it comes to relationships before, so he felt slightly odd. Seeing her in her underwear, even though he had before, seemed different now. The fact that all the 'intimate' things that had happened between them before today were slightly mislead by Kagome's strange way of thinking, made him wonder whether she would have done it differently if she had known.

"Okay!" Kagome smiled and walked over to the bed, sliding her body under the blankets. Relaxing, she snuggled herself into the sheets, enjoying the soft feeling on her skin. Sesshomaru soon joined her, pulling her into his side and holding on while he began to flip through the channels on the TV. Kagome happily wrapped her arms around him, laying her head along his chest.

"We're going home tomorrow, right?" Kagome asked.

"Yes. We have a little under two weeks of Spring Break."

"I wanna see Rin and Shippo again. Are you really going to adopt them?" She looked up to him, running her hand along his chest.

"I... don't know." He said with a sigh, placing a hand on her forehead, "I love Rin and I love Shippo. I just don't know whether I am Father material. Nor do I know whether it will be allowed."

"How old do you have to be to adopt?"

"Twenty-one... to adopt Rin and Shippo, but I also need a steady income... And..." He smiled and looked down to her, "A wife."

"Oh." Kagome blushed slightly and looked away, "I see. I take it that is why Rin was so pushy when it comes to you and I getting married?" Sesshomaru nodded. "Cute girl, but um... I- uh... Hm... When's your birthday?"

"Two months." He said as if he was dreading it. "The moment I turn twenty-one, Rin is going to be expecting a car to pull up with me saying 'Come on, honey. We're going home.' I never expected to become a father, and to have it happen so soon, I-..."

"Sesshomaru, you will be a great Dad." Kagome sat up and looked towards him, "I know you will. Rin loves you, Shippo cares about you as well. Whether he shows it or not, he does. You are kind, loving, honest, loyal, so willing to help others... You don't have to worry about whether you'd be a good Dad, because you'd be great."

"Kagome..." he looked down to her. It only took a second for his lips to meet hers. Kagome pushed herself up onto all fours and pressed her lips a little harder against his. She moved herself over his body, wrapping her arms around his neck as she continued the kiss. Sesshomaru slid his arms around her back and pulled her body into his, until their chests were together. The kiss broke and Sesshomaru moved his lips from her cheek down to her neck, placing small kisses in random spots. Both getting rather excited, Kagome bit her bottom lip while rubbing her hands up and down his back.

"Sesshomaru..." she whispered his name into his ear, her heart beat speeding up. She raised his chin so he would look at her and then she once again pressed her lips against his. Sliding her tongue along his lips, he opened his mouth allowing her passage. Kagome moved back, breaking the kiss and looking him straight in the eye, "Y-You... I-I mean we... We have to take things slow and getting me this aroused is not fair..."

"You're the one sitting on top of me..." Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow and smirked up at her. Kagome smiled and looked away, shaking her head, "Well you are."

"I know. I just... I don't know. Sometimes it's hard to control myself around you. Especially when we are alone." She spoke honestly, placing a kiss on his cheek. She sat up straight and sighed, "I want to try and open up even more to the people around me... You are the only one I trust, Sesshomaru, but I think I would like to be real friends with Sango and Kikyo."

"I thought you were." he asked, but she shook her head.

"No. I talk to them, but I tell them nothing, and frankly I don't know anything about them." Kagome rolled off of him and laid down next to him, "I want to be like I used to be... before everything happened with my biological parents. Before I used to have sleep overs, I even had a best friend. I liked hugging people and I had people that I trusted, smiled with, laughed with..." She looked up to him, "Don't get me wrong... I love you, but I think it would be nice to have a few female friends and some other people that I can call friends."

"Yes. You do. I'm glad you have figured that out." Sesshomaru told her, placing a kiss no her forehead.

"Yeah... Sango and Kikyo will be nice. I think."

"No, no. They will..." Sesshomaru said picking up the remote and once again surfing through channels. The two of them finally started to relax, calming their nerves and their hormones. Going through the rest of the night with random chatter and a few kisses here and there, they ended up falling asleep around ten o'clock, tangled in each others arms.

**End Of Chapter**

**Reviews Appreciated!**


	16. Her Horrifying Job

Chapter Sixteen: Her Horrifying Job

Finally the vacation at the beach was over and everyone had a really good time. Everything was packed up and the men were taking the luggage down to the car. Kagome took a little longer to get ready, so she was the last one down. She skipped through the lobby and out of the front door. She hopped onto Sesshomaru's back and wrapped her arms and legs around him. Sesshomaru leaned forward slightly, completely out of reflex, and caught her.

"Good morning." Kagome said while laying her head on Sesshomaru's shoulder. He just looked back with a kind smile and put his hands under her thighs to hold her up.

"Good morning, Kagome." Kikyo and Sango said to her.

"Oh..." Kagome blinked and looked to them, "Hiya. I wanna sit next to you guys on the ride back."

"Uh... Sure, great!" Sango said excitedly and the three girls hurried into the car. Miroku and Inuyasha looked to Sesshomaru with raised eyebrows and smiled to him. He just stared blankly back to them and got into the car. The entire ride home was filled with girly laughs and whispers. Glances off to the side made the men quite suspicious of what they were talking about, but knew better than to ask.

"So what are you doing when you get home?" Kikyo asked.

"I actually have to get to work... I told my boss that I would be in tonight." Kagome explained.

"Oh, you work?" Sango asked and Kagome nodded in reply, "Where do you work at?"

"Just a little establishment a few blocks away from my apartment." Kagome told them, "The first time I mentioned anything about my job to Sesshomaru, his mind immediately went to stripper."

"What?" Kikyo and Sango looked to Sesshomaru with wide eyes and then back to Kagome, "What is it you actually do?"

"Just to fuck with your minds..." Kagome replied with a smile, "I preform on stage, at night. The tips are amazing, but the environment is horrible. They pay is ridiculously low, and when I say the environment is horrible, I mean the men that come to see us are jerks. So, what does that sound like?"

"A STRIPPER!" Everyone in the car, except for Sesshomaru and Miroku yelled.

"It's a night cafe." Miroku said, already knowing exactly what she was talking about. "It isn't placed in the nicest side of the city, which makes it seem like a bad place and a lot of assholes do go there, but it isn't anything like a stripper bar. It has girls dress up in frilly little maid outfits, serve the customers while calling them master, and has certain times of the night where a girl gets on stage to sing. The food is great, the place is clean, and the women are quite beautiful."

"Yes..." Kagome raised an eyebrow at Miroku, "It's called Daisuke's Divine Dining... A normal family restaurant by day, but after seven it's a maid cafe. How do you know this?"

"Because his family owns it..." Sesshomaru said, setting a hand on his face to block anyone from seeing the extremely relieved look he had.

"Yes. My Uncle Daisuke opened it up years ago, but it didn't do so well in his name, so my Father bought it. He of course gave all managing rights to Daisuke, but it's still in his name." Miroku explained.

"Oh.. So I work for your family? TELL YOUR FATHER TO KICK DAISUKE IN THE ASS!" Kagome suddenly yelled, pointing at Miroku angrily, "That jerk constantly yells at me because I refuse to wear that slutty outfit when on s-... In fact, why don't you all come to my work one of these days? I'm sure he'll leave me the hell alone if he realizes that you're all my friends."

"I can do that." Sango said with a nod, "Not a problem at all. I know Daisuke and the man is a pig. He is a lot like Miroku at times, but Miroku is much, much more polite. Daisuke likes randomly grabbing onto any cute girls ass or breasts."

"I know... It's irritating." Kagome narrowed her eyes in a glare as she turned to Sango, "I hate him. The only reason he said he hired me is because he thought I would be easy to get on stage and act like a whore. No one else would hire me, so I was forced to take that damn job. The moment I find something knew, I am kicking that jerk in the balls and leaving."

"I'll take care of him, Kagome..." Miroku said in a shaky voice. Kagome looked over to him and smile when she saw that Sesshomaru and Inuyasha were glaring at him. Miroku pulled out his phone and called someone. "Hey... Uncle Daisuke?"

"_Oh hey! It's my nephew Miroku. How have you been?" _the man talked so loud and obnoxiously that everyone in the car could hear him.

"Yeah... Daisuke. We have a problem." Miroku said with a sigh.

"_Yeah? What happened?" _

"It seems that your treatment of the women at the diner, one in particular, is currently coming under question and if things do not change, I will be forced to take action." Miroku explained.

"_What? I treat these ladies with the utmost respect! Who is telling you otherwise? They're lying Miroku. Come on, you know me!"_

"Yes. I do know you, and that is why you're getting a warning right now. Change up, or pack your shit. Understood?" Miroku got a bit more serious when he saw Inuyasha and Sesshomaru getting angry with how kind he was being.

"_What? Are you threatening me?"_ he said and Miroku suddenly got pissed. He kept quiet, listening to his Uncle yell at him over the phone, _"I don't take kindly to threats. You better remember that you're just a kid! I'll treat my employees the way they fucking deserve. Now take this one bitch. Only comes in on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, but still has the nerve to tell me she deserves a raise? The ho ain't getting shit. Everyone in this town knows she's nothing but a low down whore. And anther thing, don't be callin' here and telling me how to run my business. I'll be having a talk with your father next time I see him. Got it?"_

"We'll be there in five minutes." Miroku said nothing more. He hung up the phone and told the driver where to go. Within two minutes they showed up, having already entered the city when they were on the phone. "Kagome... Go to work. I want to watch how he treats you." Miroku asked her and she nodded, stepping out of the car. They watched her head inside and waited for a minute. "All right, let's go." Miroku's usual kind demeanor was different. He was serious, like he was on an important mission. They decided to wait for a bit and then got out. "Let's go..."

"Hi Daisuke. I'm here..." Kagome said quietly as she stepped into the place. Inside was actually rather impressive. Tables were set nicely, curtains on the windows, chandeliers over multiple tables, and lighting covering the stage at the end of the room perfectly.

"Kagome! I was just talking about you to one of my friends!" Daisuke came over to her, setting a hand on her back, "Now look. I thought about your raise, and you aren't getting it."

"Why!" Kagome's eyes widened. "You have me here at the latest hours, so I can't get my school work done. You pay me jack shit, so I can barely keep up with the bills at the apartment!"

"It seems you've learned to talk over the passed couple of days." Daisuke laughed and lowered his hand to her backside.

"Keep your hands off me." She took a step back, smacking his hand away.

"Excuse me?" Daisuke stepped towards her, causing her to take a step back. When she did, he was angered and he grabbed her wrist roughly, dragging her to the back so no one could see.

"Let me go!" She demanded, trying to fight him back.

"Now listen here, bitch." He pulled her until her back hit a wall. He set himself in front of her and pinned her wrists. "I don't know who you suddenly think you are, bu-" CRACK! A flash of a fist was all Kagome could see when Daisuke flew away from her. She looked to see Sesshomaru standing there with everyone. Miroku stepped passed Sesshomaru, clicking his cell phone closed.

"Now that I have proof of your behavior, you're fired." was all Miroku said.

"What? You can't fire me!" Daisuke went to stand up, but was drop kicked right back into a wall.

"No one touches my girl..." Sesshomaru said in a threatening manner as he grabbed Daisuke by the throat and drug him into a random room, which just so happened to be a broom closet. A few crashes were heard, along with a soft thud, and then it stopped. Sesshomaru stepped back out from the closet and went over to Kagome. He pulled her into him and pressed his lips a little roughly against hers, but she didn't mind it. He broke the kiss and leaned in to whisper in her ear, "If anyone ever touches you like that again... I'll kill them."

"Sesshomaru..." Kagome gave a sweet smile and shook her head, "It's okay now. He's learned his lesson, I'm sure, but killing someone isn't going to make things better. I'd rather you be by my side, not in jail because of something some asshole did."

"I didn't mean literally, Kagome." He smiled at her and shook his head.

"I know..." She nodded and shrugged, "But I went with it."

"All right. My father has been sent the video, he knows that Daisuke is fired, and now we must find someone who has a better ability to run this place." Miroku said and then looked to Kagome, "I am so sorry that you had to deal with something like that. I wish you would have told us sooner."

"I didn't want to bug anyone..." Kagome set her head on Sesshomaru's shoulder, since he still seemed to not want to let her go. "Although, I do need to get to work. Once I'm dressed, I'll give you guys a table, okay?" She smiled and then looked up to Sesshomaru. She gave him another kiss and then walked away, towards the dressing room.

"I think she deserves that raise." Inuyasha said, glancing to Miroku.

"Already done." Miroku smiled. The group waited for Kagome with a sense of relief. They were happy that she no longer had to deal with something so horrible. It was upsetting to find that she had been treated so badly at a place that one of them owned. A few minutes passed and Kagome came out in a black and white maid costume, complimented by bunny ears.

"Don't... say anything about this costume." She warned before saying anything else. "Now... Can I show you two your table, masters?" She said in a cheerful smile, acting like a completely different person. She picked up a few menu's and walked them over to a table large enough to serve them all.

"Kagome, you look cute." Kikyo said with a smile, "That outfit suits you perfectly."

"Thanks, Master Kikyo." She said with a even more cheerful voice.

"Kagome, what are you doing here so early?" A young girl wearing a matching outfit, but in the color blue, came over and asked her.

"Oh, hi Eri." Kagome said, still using her overly cheerful voice, "Because I didn't work at all in the last week, I have to make up for it today, otherwise I won't be able to pay the rent."

"Oh. I'm sorry about you not getting your raise." Eri said with a soft smile, "Daisuke can be cruel sometimes. Just hold your head up."

"Oh.. Eri..." Kagome blinked and then motioned towards her friends, "Because of these guys, we don't have to worry about Daisuke anymore. Miroku here is the one who actually owns the place, so when he found out about how we were being treated, he came by and fired Daisuke."

"Are you serious?" Yuka, the one in red, came over as she over heard the news. "So are you saying we are free from that disgusting tyrant?"

"Yes. You are." Miroku nodded and every girl in the let out a relieved sigh. The feeling of freedom washed over the entire cafe, no one being forced to act so fake anymore.

"Kagome..." Sango called out her name in curiosity, "With how you usually are... You know, afraid of so much contact, how were you able to deal with this type of job? And with Daisuke?"

"The passed month or so has been okay, but before that it was hard." Kagome said and sat down next to Inuyasha, since he was the one on the outside. "Before I met all of you, the most he'd have me do is dress like a boy and walk around picking up everyone's trash. I'd be the one mopping floors, sweeping, cleaning the windows, doing the dishes. He sort of kept me hidden. That's why I am the one who works so late at night usually... Only recently has he had me wearing this thing."

"I see."

"Well since Daisuke's no longer in charge of us..." Yuka came over and asked, "What do we do now? I have no clue how to run a place like this. How about anyone else?" Everyone shook their heads, "Then what do we do?"

"Guys..." Kagome raised her hands in a calming manner, "It's okay. We do what we usually do. Greet the customer, get them their food, clean it up when they leave, and be as nice as we can. Now that we don't have to worry about having pots thrown at the back of our heads, we will be fine. We also don't have to act like those fake anime girls on TV anymore. Let's just be ourselves and work together, okay?"

"Kagome's right!" Ayumi, the one wearing green, came over and said. "I'll get back into the kitchen and continue cooking. Yuka and Kagome, concentrate on the customers. Eri, Lilly, and Eriko, just concentrate on singing and entertaining the guests. We have a restaurant to run!"

"Right!" the girls all raised there hands in a cheer of triumph. From that moment on, the uncomfortable tension that seemed to leek from the cracks of the cafe was soon gone. The girls seemed much happier, a safe feeling loomed over their heads as if it was something they had never felt before. They all worked so well together, moving as one. There was even a time that Eri walked passed a table and tripped over the leg. Kagome caught the glasses she was carrying while Yuka caught her and everyone moved on with their jobs.

Miroku, Sango, Inuyasha, Kikyo, and Sesshomaru loved watching the smile that Kagome had on her face. She seemed to feel accepted. She wasn't nervous, nor was she shy or clumsy. She was actually rather radiant and graceful in her movements as she walked around. A sense of ease also came over Sesshomaru. Although he would never admit it, he was afraid of what her job truly was. Her little statement about tips being good had thrown him off, but seeing this helped him settle his troubled and incorrect thoughts.

"You were worried." Inuyasha said, catching everyone's attention. He was speaking to his brother.

"I was." Sesshomaru nodded and crossed his arms along his chest.

"I'm happy for you." Inuyasha said and Sesshomaru looked to him, the two sharing a nice brotherly look of acceptance.

"We all are." Kikyo spoke up, setting a hand on Sesshomaru's shoulder, "She's a beautiful, smart, kind, and loyal girl. You picked wonderfully."

"Thank you." He said, fighting a smile.

"You gonna marry her?" Miroku smiled cheerfully at Sesshomaru. Although he intended to slightly irritate Sesshomaru with that question, the glare did not come. Sesshomaru instead looked up to Kagome and watched her for a while.

"It's too soon to tell." was his only reply, "But I think Rin and Shippo want me to."

"You marry her if that is what makes YOU happy, brother." Inuyasha told him and Sesshomaru nodded.

"The only thing that I think needs to be said..." Sango spoke out and they all looked to her. She looked at Sesshomaru seriously, "You need to tell her... about everything that happened to you, things you got into, why you got into them. That isn't something you should keep a secret. It's too important, and way to big of a part of your life for her not to know. If you love her, you'll tell her soon."

"I know." Sesshomaru nodded and everyone looked over to watch as Kagome poured a customer a glass of iced tea. "I do love her."

"That's the perfect start." Inuyasha said. "Just do as Sango says... so you can keep loving her."

The group kept to their own idle chats for about two hours. Kagome was going to be working all night, so they knew they couldn't stay the entire time. They decided it was time to go and stood up. They went to pay for everything they had drank and eaten, and then went to say by to Kagome. A kiss and hug with Sesshomaru finished it, and the group left. Kagome went back to her work, taking four thirty minute breaks, and then finally she was off. She changed back into her clothes and then stretched her back. It was the longest day she had ever had at work, taking at least five hours of over time. Finally three o'clock in the morning had come around and she left.

"My back hurts..." she slouched slightly as she walked out of the cafe and towards her home. It was really dark in her area around this time of night. Since Sesshomaru would usually walk her home from school, she still wasn't very comfortable with walking alone from work. As she walked, she began to hear a few footsteps that weren't her own. She stopped walking and quickly turned around to see who it was, but no one was there. "Okay... Kagome, calm down." she told herself and started walking again. It only took a few seconds for her to hear it again, and she snapped her head around to look, but once again no one was there. "L-Leave me alone..." she called out with a shaky voice.

She went on walking, except quicker this time. The footsteps started once again, and she turned around. A shadow of a tall man with long hair was there. At first she hoped it was Sesshomaru, but he wouldn't ever do something like this. He would have made himself known, and besides, this mans hair was slightly curly. She began to run. She glanced back to see that the shadow was chasing her. She tried running faster, taking a quick turn around a random corner, but her body slammed into something. She fell and then looked up with wide eyes.

"Oh thank god..." she stood up as she recognized the person, "Please. Help me. Someone is following me." She asked them desperately, but they didn't do anything. Kagome looked up to them and stared for a moment. She began to back away, but was grabbed from behind. Her arms were forced behind her back, and someone put a hand over her mouth.

"I'm.. so sorry..." the man said, stuttering slightly. She looked up to the man she had bumped into. He was sorry? She didn't understand. She tried struggling against the man who held her, but was suddenly hit in the back of the head. She felt dizzy and soon she blacked out, her body going limp in the mans arms.

**End Of Chapter!**

**Reviews Appreciated!**


	17. His Horrifying Job

Chapter Seventeen: His Horrifying Job

Kagome woke up only a few minutes later in the back of a vehicle. Something was over her head, so she couldn't see anything, and she could feel her hands tied roughly behind her back. She felt some tape covering her mouth, so she could not yell out for help. She was being thrashed around just a bit because of the bumps and turns in the road. She ended up sliding across the floor and hitting her head. A low moan exited her throat as she tried to fight through the ropes that were keeping her bound. She felt a hand touch her shoulder and hold her still.

"If you don't want them to hurt you, then cooperate, okay?" a voice said in a whisper. She thought that recognized the person as well. A feeling of dread and horror washed over her body, making her stomach hurt as her nerves began going haywire. She could tell that the vehicle was slowing down, and soon it came to a complete stop. She heard the doors open and felt someone grab under her arms and drag her out of what she assumed was a van. They didn't give her a chance to catch her balance and began pulling her along like some doll. She tried putting herself on her feet, but kept tripping because they would not give her a chance.

"Is this her?" a low voice spoke out. The person stood a few feet away from what she could tell.

"Yeah. It is." A man that was holding her said. Suddenly the bag was ripped off her head and she was finally able to see again. She took in a deep breath and looked around. They were in some sort of warehouse filled with lumber. She looked to the man that was holding her and narrowed her eyes.

"So, you're Kagome..." The man said walking over to her. She tried pulling away, but she was being held still and could not move. A look of terror came over her features as he reached out and rubbed his hand along her cheek.

"Okay, you've got what you wanted, so where are they?" The man who held her asked desperately.

"Don't worry Naraku... Both Kagura and Kanna are safe." The man in front of her said, signaling his men. Three men went off and soon returned with Kagura and a little girl. Their ropes were cut and they ran over to Naraku, jumping into his arms, both crying.

"It's okay..." Naraku said as he held the two of them close, "You're safe now." Kagura kissed Naraku, holding tightly onto him and her little sister. "Can we go?" Naraku asked and the man nodded. He quickly turned away and ran off, pulling Kagura and Kanna with him.

"Now that I'm done with them... I can move onto you." the man said and without any warning, his arm swung across and slapped Kagome across the face, causing her head to turn and then ripping the tape she had on her mouth off. "Do you have any idea who I am?" He asked and she shook her head no, her one eye slightly closed because of the pain. "I'm shocked... You'd think Sesshomaru would tell his little girlfriend about me. I mean... wouldn't you guys?" Onigumo looked around at his men and they all nodded and laughed. Once again a slap came to Kagome's face, but this time to the other side.

"Wh-What do you want?" She asked desperately as she tried pulling away, but the other man whom she did not know kept her there.

"I need you to deliver a message." Onigumo said and then walked away. He went and picked up a thin metal pipe, causing Kagome's eyes to widen. "I need you to tell Sesshomaru that he's going to come back and do a job for me. You know... Just like Naraku just did."

"I don't understand..." Kagome said as he began walking back towards her.

"Sesshomaru and Naraku were once the perfect team. They'd deliver merchandise for me all over this city, but once they left... I guess you can say I've had a few problems." Onigumo told her. She tried backing away, but could not shake the man holding her loose. Onigumo raised the pipe and she began to panic.

"No, no, no. Please, don't hurt me!" She screamed out, but he did not listen. With a single swing, she felt the pipe slam into her side, just barely missing her ribs. She toppled over onto herself and the man let her go. She tried desperately to take in air, but the pain was too much. She held her side and looked up to Onigumo, who now stood over her. He raised the pipe again and swung it down onto her back, but didn't hit.

"Hm... No, no. This isn't how you treat a lady..." Onigumo said and then tossed the pipe off to the side. He shook his head and then walked over to another table, "You don't hit her with a blunt weapon, but this..." He said with a smirk and then turned back to her. He had picked up a whip. As he went over to her, she tried moving away, but he swung the whip around, hitting her right across the chest. Blood seeped from a newly opened wound as she screamed out at the top of her lungs. "Oh, did that hurt sweetheart?" He asked sarcastically and swung it again, and again, and again. After a few more swings and screams of pain from Kagome, he stopped and walked over to the blood covered woman. "Now... My friends here are going to escort you back to Sesshomaru's place, and you're going to tell him what I said. He's got three months. That's when I am going to need this done. If he doesn't come through, you're dead, okay sweetie?" Kagome nodded. "Good. Now get her out of here. Just drop her on the front lawn or something."

Kagome was picked up by the men and tossed into the back of the same van. Before they left, they tied her arms behind her back, her feet together, and put another bag over her head. She was bleeding an immense amount, causing her to feel weak. They didn't seem to care whether she actually made it to the house to give the message to Sesshomaru, which to her was rather stupid. It took about twenty minutes, but they pulled up to the house. How they got the ability to get through the lobby made no sense to her, but then she realized something. They aren't taking her to Sesshomaru's apartment, but instead his families estate. She wondered if they even knew that he was living by himself. Probably not since it would have been easier for them to just get him there.

The van once again began slowing down to finally come to a stop. The ride felt like it had lasted hours, although she knew better. They came to the back of the van and dragged her out, picking her up bridal style and then carried her somewhere. She could feel them carrying her up some steps and then suddenly was dropped. She heard the faint sound of a doorbell and then heard the rushing footsteps of her attackers get farther and farther away. A few seconds passed and the sound of a door opening clicked into her ears.

"What the hell?" She heard Inuyasha's mother, Izayoi step out. She felt Izayoi's shaking hand come below the back of her neck and lift her head. She removed the bag and her eyes widened when she saw who it was on her doorstep. "Kagome..." her voice shook in sorrow for the girl, but then she ran off, pressing one of the buttons for the intercom in the house. "INUTAISHO! INUYASHA! KIKYO! GET DOWN HERE NOW!" She screamed in a panic and within ten seconds everyone came running.

"Mom! What's wrong?" Inuyasha got there first and all Izayoi could do was point to the door, covering her face as tears streamed down her cheeks. He went over and his eyes widened in fear, "Oh my god... DAD! Get the doctor now!" He leaned down and picked Kagome up into his arms. InuTaisho could not believe what he was seeing when Inuyasha brought Kagome into the house, "Do NOT call Sesshomaru yet."

"What! We have to tell him!" Izayoi yelled.

"No! If we tell him now, he will come over here in a fit of rage. Let's find out what happened first before we dare tell him something that might not be true." Inuyasha took her over to the dining room table as Kikyo just pushed everything, whether it be glass or not, off onto the floor. They set her down on top of it. Kikyo ran off to get some we rags, while Inuyasha tried to talk to her, "Kagome... Can you tell me what happened?"

"I-It... h-hurts..." was all she said, struggling to speak as it is.

"I know... I know..." Inuyasha bit his lip and looked back to see Kikyo returning with the rags. They began to wipe off any wounds that they could see. A few moments later the doctor ran in. He demanded they leave him to take care of her, so they walked out. About an hour later, after a good dose of morphine and a large amount of stitches, Kagome was announced stable. She had fallen asleep and was resting on the table, using a thick blanket as a pillow for now.

"Doc, what the hell happened to her?" Inuyasha walked over and asked as the doctor finally made his appearance to them.

"She was whipped." was how he decided to explain it, "The whip that was used was one like what people use to use to beat their slaves, but who ever did it was rather skilled. The wounds are clean, meaning they aren't dirty AND they were well done. I don't think I've ever seen something like this before... She was struck a total of fifteen times, which the number doesn't seem like a lot, but the pain is immense. She told me nothing of what happened."

"All right... Is she asleep?" InuTaisho asked and the doctor nodded, "Thank you. You'll be getting a bonus check at the end of this month for having to deal with something like this. Go ahead... Get to bed. You deserve your rest." The doctor nodded and everyone looked around to each other, having no clue of what they should be doing now.

"Well... Do we call Sesshomaru?" Kikyo asked Inuyasha, but her reply was a shake of his head. "Why not, Inuyasha?"

"Because... I just don't want to see him go into a fit of rage." Inuyasha said, looking away from her, "I have seen him do it before and it's not something I like. Let's get as much information as we can, and then we'll call him in the morning, after she's rested..."

"And don't you think it would anger Sesshomaru a lot more to know that you withheld information about the woman he loves from him?" InuTaisho asked his son, "I understand why you want to keep it from him Inuyasha, but with something like this... He'd probably end up being furious with you. You should call him."

"... Fine..." Inuyasha sighed and went into the room where Kagome was. He picked up one of the house phones and dialed his brothers number, while sitting down next to Kagome. It run a few times and finally a just awakened Sesshomaru picked up the phone.

"_Hello?"_ Sesshomaru took in a deep breath and let it out, as no one answered, _"Hello?" _

"Sesshomaru... It's me..." Inuyasha said and looked up to see everyone come into the room.

"_I know who this is. What's wrong, Inuyasha?"_ Sesshomaru asked as he sat up in bed.

"Come up to the estate... Um... Kagome's hurt." Inuyasha said, trying to figure out a decent way to explain this to his brother.

"_What? What happened!" _Sesshomaru jumped out of his bed and immediately started getting dressed.

"I don't know. She... She just showed up covered in her own blood." Inuyasha began to get nervous as he explained more, "Mom screamed for everyone and we ran down to see Kagome laying on the front step... She's got a lot of wounds man... The doctor stitched her up and gave her some morphine. She's asleep now... Sesshomaru?" He raised an eyebrow when he didn't hear his brother reply anymore, "Sesshomaru? Are you there?" The line went dead. He turned off the phone and sighed, "He's on his way."

"Can you help me sit up, please?" Kagome said holding out her hand.

"You're awake?" Kikyo came over, climbing on top of the table to sit on the opposite side, "I'm so glad you're okay. Everyone is so worried." She slowly helped Kagome sit up. Inuyasha moved Kagome's legs so they would hang comfortably over the table.

"Kagome, what happened?" Inuyasha asked.

"I was on my way home when these guys grabbed me and had their fun with a whip..." Kagome sighed as she lied to them. She was thinking about saying a knife at first, but when the doctor was in here, she remembered him asking about a whip, so she assumed he had already told them about it.

"What the fuck?" Inuyasha yelled, "I knew I should have reminded Sesshomaru about you going home. It was that asshole Daisuke, wasn't it? Got pissed off because he got fired."

"I don't know who it was, Inuyasha." Kagome shook her head, "They kept masks on. Once they were done, they dumped me near here and drove off. I thought about going to Sesshomaru's place, but that was a little too far away. I would have probably bled to death."

"Well I'm glad you chose here." Kikyo said, hugging her gently. "You're safe now, so you don't have to worry about assholes like that coming to mess with you."

"Thanks." Kagome said, hugging her back, which shocked them all.

You... returned my hug." Kikyo said with a smiled and Kagome nodded.

"You are my friend... right?" Kagome asked curiously and Kikyo nodded. They sat in silence for a minute, everyone dreading the moment that Sesshomaru was to show up. A loud skid came from the front of the house.

"He's here..." Inuyasha said as a loud bang soon came right after. They all heard the front door open and Izayoi went over to wave to him.

"She's in here." Izayoi said and Sesshomaru quickly went over to her.

"What happened?" Sesshomaru asked, trying to control the anger he felt. He looked her up and down, taking in every single wound. Her face was clear, her neck was not harmed, but there were places on her upper chest and upper arms that had been cut.

"What happened was..." Kagome sighed and looked up to him, "You were one hundred percent right about me needing to learn some sort of self defense. It was dark, I was alone, and I was defenseless. I need you to teach me to fight."

"I should have never left you alone." Sesshomaru pulled her into his arms as gently as he could.

"No..." Kagome said and looked up to him, "You can't be with me twenty four hours a day, Sesshomaru and I know that. There are going to be times where I am alone, and learning a way to keep assholes like them away from me is best."

"Who did this to you?" He asked.

"I never saw their faces. They kept them covered." She explained and leaned her head onto his chest, "I am okay though. Nothing that won't heal over time. If you can give me a week or so to let these cuts heal, then we can start training. Is that okay?" Sesshomaru nodded, his arms tightening around her.

"You two should go upstairs and rest." Izayoi said with a soft smile, "But Kagome, do you think I can talk to you for a minute?" Kagome nodded and everyone left the room. "I'll walk her upstairs in a bit. Just get the room ready." Once everyone was gone, Izayoi gave Kagome a dirty look.

"A-Are you all right?" Kagome was taken by surprise.

"No. You're lying to them." Izayoi said, walking over to Kagome, "I don't know what actually happened, but this was something personal, more than likely against Sesshomaru. The only reason I got to the door first is because I was down in the kitchen. I saw the men driving away after dropping something, that something being you, on the porch. What happened? Do not lie, or I will be getting the security tapes."

"Okay, okay!" Kagome waved her arms, not knowing that Inuyasha's sweet and kind mother could be so demanding at times, "When I was walking home from work, Naraku grabbed me."

"Naraku... Doesn't he go to your school?" Izayoi asked and she nodded yes.

"They tied me up, put me in a van, an-" the door suddenly opened and Kikyo walked in with wide eyes.

"I was coming to give you this..." Kikyo held up a pair of black pajama pants and a matching shirt, "I didn't mean to hear, but Kagome... Why would you lie about it?"

"Let me finish... please... Then you'll understand." Kagome asked and Kikyo nodded, shutting the door behind her, "They took me to some ware house and this guy named Onigumo hit me with a pipe once. He didn't do it hard enough to break anything, but it hurt like hell. He then switched to whip, saying that was how a lady was supposed to be treated."

"Onigumo... Oh my god. That's the man that Sesshomaru was in lead with when he disappeared on us a couple years ago." Kikyo said in shock as she shot down on a chair. Izayoi soon copied and sat down as well.

"Yeah..." Kagome nodded, "He told me that he wanted Sesshomaru to do another job for him in a few months, and I assume that hitting me like that was to show how serious he was."

"Kagome... That isn't something that you should keep from Sesshomaru." Kikyo said.

"Well it's not like he's told me about all of this, has he?" Kagome said slightly angered, "He kept all of it from me, and I had to first find out from you guys, but now from some asshole who apparently knows about me, when I know nothing about him."

"Kagome... Sesshomaru thought this was all in the past." Kikyo tried to explain.

"Well obviously it isn't. Is it?" Kagome said shaking her head, "I didn't tell the truth because I still want Sesshomaru to have the chance to tell me himself. I also want to use these next two months to learn to fight, so I won't have to worry about them catching me off guard. I mean.. They knew where I worked! When I was getting off, and the route I took home."

"I still think you should tell him." Kikyo said and Izayoi agreed. "If I found out Inuyasha was keeping something like that from me, I'd probably end up questioning everything he said for a long time. That isn't something you want on your relationship, especially if you love them."

"I do love him... I just don't want him feeling obligated to go back into a life he is obviously trying to leave behind..." Kagome explained, "Anyways... I'll think about it, but for now I want to rest."

Kikyo and Izayoi stood up and helped Kagome down off the table. She looked to the both of them with a smile and they promised that they would keep it a secret until she was ready to tell him herself. The two helped her walk up the stairs and into the room she had slept in before. Sesshomaru was there waiting for her, already having a warm bath filled so she could clean herself off.

"I don't think it's smart to have her take a bath with this many stitches..." Kikyo said as she heard the water running.

"No using soap, keep it short, no long-term soaking. Just get the blood off of you and then pat your body dry, so the stitches aren't rubbed or irritated at all." Sesshomaru explained in a dull tone. He was staring at the ground, slouched over the bed, looking rather defeated. Kagome glanced to the girls and they nodded. They said goodnight and walked out, leaving the two alone.

"Sesshomaru..." Kagome stepped over to him. A slight pain hit her leg and she stopped walking, a low 'ow' being heard from the girl. He looked to her through the bangs of his hair and then stood up. He walked over and stood in front of her. "Sesshomaru, don't be so upset. I'm okay."

"You're covered in cuts and had to have stitches on all of them." He said to her, still using a dull tone, "Tell me how that is okay?"

"I am still alive." Kagome told him with a sigh, "With everything that I have been through, I am just happy I am alive." She slid her hand into his and walked him over to the bathroom rather slowly. She sat down on the edge and looked up to him, "Sesshomaru, do you remember everything I told you about my past? How my father hurt me and killed my sister?"

"Yes. That isn't something I would easily forget." He said, staring down at her.

"Well tonight sort of reminded me of that night." Kagome said, making Sesshomaru feel worse. She saw this and then smiled, "It did. I felt helpless, weak. I felt like I was going to die... But! There is one big thing that I noticed that made all the difference."

"What?" He asked.

"You." She said with a sincere smile, "For the first time, I felt like I was going to be okay because there was someone that I was going to get back to no matter what. The only thing I could think about was getting through it just so I could see you again. That's all. Nothing else mattered to me."

"Kagome..." Sesshomaru kneeled down and couldn't help but smile at her, "I love you."

"I love you too." she replied and leaned forward to kiss him. As they kissed, she felt his hands moving over the shirt she was wearing. It was still covered in her blood. She felt him rip it open and toss it to the side. She leaned away to try and break the kiss, but he didn't let her. He continued pressing his lips passionately against hers, and then removed her bra, the ruined pants, and her underwear. Kagome's heart skipped a beat when he decided to lift her naked body up. The kiss broke and he looked down to her, fighting a smirk when he saw her blushing face. He chuckled and placed her into the bath water.

"There you go... Now let's get you clean." Sesshomaru told her and picked up a very soft cloth. He wet it and handed it to her while he did the same to another.

"_Oh this man... Is a tease." _Kagome thought to herself, trying her best not to glare at him. _"Although, I suppose it's much safer not to have sex for your first time when you've just been attacked by maniacs." _

Sesshomaru wiped the blood off of her back, getting angrier every time he saw a new wound. Luckily they had all stopped bleeding and she was obviously going to be okay. Kagome wiped her chest off, along with anything else she could reach without causing herself pain. After a couple of minutes, the bath water was completely red. Sesshomaru let the water down the drain and moved her to the shower so she could rinse herself off. Once that was done, he double checked to make sure she was no longer bleeding and then helped her out of the shower. He assisted her in patting herself dry and getting dressed in the pajamas that Kikyo had left for her and then walked her to bed. The two of them laid down, him having to be extra careful in how he handled her body.

"Thank you, Kagome..." Sesshomaru said, kissing her cheek.

"For what?" She looked back to him. He had his arms around her, his chest onto her back. The position known as 'spooning'.

"For thinking about me. It's nice to know that I am the one you want to come back to." He said and laid his head behind hers. _"I have a feeling... I am going to marry this girl." _He thought to himself.

"Well you are very welcome." She said with a giggle and pressed herself back against him, "Let's rest now... Hopefully tomorrow I will feel better."

"All right. Goodnight, Kagome."

"Goodnight, Sesshomaru."

**End Of Chapter!**


	18. Lying

Chapter Eighteen: Lying

The next afternoon came and Kagome finally woke up. Her eyes fluttered open and she rolled over to see the man she had fallen head over heels for. She went to sit up, but stopped when a painful sensation hit all over her body. She laid herself right back down, remembering the true events of the night before, and thinking back to how she lied to Sesshomaru. Although her intentions behind the lie were good, she wondered whether it was a good idea to do it. He will be so furious later on, when he finds how what actually did happen to her. It was a terrifying experience, one she did not every wish to relive. As she watched Sesshomaru sleep, after a few minutes she ran her hand along his cheek, placing his hair behind his ear. A quiet moan escaped Sesshomaru's throat as he let out a breath. His hand reached up to grab hers. Still keeping his eyes closed, he kissed it.

"You're awake." Kagome said with a soft smile, keeping her voice quiet since they had just woken up.

"I am." Sesshomaru opened his eyes and let go of her hand. He moved closer to her and wrapped himself around her. "Good mo-.. Good afternoon." He said with a smile as he glanced up to the clock, "I believe this is the first time you and I have slept in so late."

"Yeah. I guess we were both really tired." Kagome said, running her hands through his hair. He placed a small kiss on her forehead and she smiled. "Sesshomaru... Can I ask you something?" He nodded to her. "Have you ever kept something from me? Or lied to me about anything?"

"What brings this question about?" He raised an eyebrow and gave her a suspicious look.

"I was just wondering." she said while staring straight into his eyes. "Have you?" Sesshomaru couldn't tell whether she was suspicious of him, or whether she had lied to him about something. Little did he know it was both. He let out a sigh and rolled over on his back, placing an arm behind his head.

"Yeah... I haven't lied to you, but I haven't told you everything about me either..." He said honestly. He looked to her to see her reaction, but she just stared blankly at him. She obviously wanted him to continue on, so he did. "When I was fourteen I left home and for two years lived on the streets. I am not proud of those times, but I was angry at my Father and Izayoi. I hated the sudden appearance of a younger brother and felt like he was being favored over me, so I left. I ended up doing some really nasty work for this guy that ran a gang down town... Is that what you wanted to know about?"

"Yeah..." Kagome said and moved a bit closer to him, "I'm glad you finally told me. I was wondering what had happened. I heard about you going through a rough time for a while, but no one gave me any details about it."

"It had gotten to the point where I didn't trust anyone." Sesshomaru explained, tightening an arm around her waist, "If people touched me, I'd fight back. One day I ended up hurting a young woman. I felt someone touch my shoulder and out of reflex went to defend myself. When I saw her... I didn't know what I should do."

"What did you do to her?"

"You know that move that is completely overused in the movies?" He asked her, "The one where someones shoulder is grabbed and the person grabs their wrist and flips them over. I did that. She was holding a b-..." Sesshomaru took in a deep breath and looked away. It pained him to talk about something like this. He hated the idea of hurting a woman and ended up doing it himself. He was disgusted with the memory of that night. "She was holding a baby. I didn't... I didn't even apologize. I ran away. After that I decided to go home. I was becoming paranoid, defensive..."

"Like me..." Kagome said and he nodded, "So... is that why you were so determined on getting me to open up and talk?" Sesshomaru nodded and she smiled, "Thank you..."

"How are you feeling?" He asked and she took a deep breath.

"I'm feeling good, better than yesterday. I will need a bit of help though." She said blushing slightly, "I kinda need to go to the restroom..."

"Okay." Sesshomaru didn't hesitate to stand up. He walked over to her side of the bed and slowly helped her to her feet. He walked her over to the bathroom, and she raised an eyebrow at him. "What?"

"I can do the rest by myself." She giggled and closed the door. Sesshomaru smiled and walked off. He sat down on the bed again and waited for her to come out. Once she did, he saw that she was holding her stomach, "I bet these are going to scar..."

"Maybe, but it doesn't matter." Sesshomaru said with a soft smile, "You'll still be just as beautiful as you are not, if not more." Kagome looked up to him. His words were sincere, and it made her heart soar to hear them being said.

"You know, you're an angel." Kagome said with a smile, moving over to place a kiss on his cheek.

"No, I'm not." He said chuckling and then began walking her out of the room. Still in her pajamas and Sesshomaru completely dressed, they made their way to the living room where everyone was sitting and watching some TV. Sango and Miroku had been called and were also there.

"Kagome!" Sango noticed them coming down first. She stood up and ran over to Kagome, giving her a tight hug. Kagome's body tensed and she bit her bottom lip, but still hugged back. "Oh shit. Sorry, I was so worried. I forgot that you don't like people touching you for a minute there."

"No. Sango..." Kagome relaxed and shook her head, "It's not that. I'm hurt. Getting hugs right now isn't the best thing for me to do."

"Oh... Right. I'm just glad you're okay." Sango said with a relieved sigh, "When Kikyo called and told us that you were mugged I freaked out. So many things went through my head."

"Well I'm okay now." Kagome said and Sango nodded.

"Oh, and you..." Sango looked up to Sesshomaru, "I think you and I should have a talk." Sesshomaru nodded. Sango walked him over to another room, and Kagome just looked towards everyone.

"What was that about?" Kagome asked.

"Don't know..." Miroku said, leaning back to see Sango and Sesshomaru talking in the other room.

"Thanks for the pajamas." Kagome said as she sat down next to Kikyo.

"It was the least I can do. They're comfortable, aren't they?" She asked and Kagome nodded, the two girls sharing a quick laugh. Kikyo leaned away from Kagome, laying her back against Inuyasha's chest. Kagome smiled at the cute couple and then looked towards Miroku, who was still watching Sango and Sesshomaru talk in the other room.

"All right!" Sango said as the two walked back, "Sesshomaru and I have come to an agreement."

"And what is that?" Miroku raised an eyebrow.

"We think that it would be best and much safer..." Sango said placing her hands behind her back, "If a certain young lady... Kagome... would move in with Sesshomaru."

"Huh?" Kagome just blinked.

"It was her idea, but I had thought about it as well." Sesshomaru explained, "After last night, I truly would prefer you moving in with me. I hate that little apartment that you are forced to deal with anyway. It's small, dirty, and frankly you need a bed. It's also much closer to your job, so you won't have to worry about walking so far anymore." As Sesshomaru explained, everyone could see the pleading look in his eyes. His love for Kagome was shining through. Kagome just stared at him for a moment and then thought about it. "So, what do you think?" Sesshomaru asked her and she took in a deep breath, taking one last glance around everyone in the room.

"I guess I can do that. If I were to move in with anyone, it would be you." Kagome said with an innocent smile, "I guess doing it sooner than I thought isn't such a bad idea."

"Oh, so you've though about moving in with my brother before?" Inuyasha gave Kagome a mischievous smile. He was trying to pick on her, but Kagome's sense of humor was not at it's peak.

"Yeah." She replied with a nod, "Is that bad?" She looked over to Sesshomaru and watched him shake his head. She smiled again, relieved at the answer and then looked back over to Inuyasha, "Why did you act like it was bad? It's not bad. What girl, besides Kikyo and Sango, have not thought about the idea of being with your brother?" Kagome's words made the three other girls, Kikyo, Sango, and Izayoi, all giggle at her statement. She looked over to them and raised an eyebrow, "What did I do now? It's true. Practically every girl in school wants him, Inuyasha, or Miroku."

"Inuyasha and Miroku too?" InuTaisho said and chuckled when he saw the looks on Sango and Kikyo's faces. He shook his head, his chuckle moving into a full blown laugh.

"Yeah. I think the only reason the girls at school don't flirt with Inuyasha and Miroku as much as they do with Sesshomaru is because of Kikyo and Sango's iron fist." Kagome explained with an innocent tone. "I can't blame them though. I wouldn't want to go up against Sango or Kikyo. That would be a scary and more than likely a death wish." Kagome seemed to be speaking about everything that came to her mind now. She wasn't holding back a single thought that entered her brain.

"Are we that scary?" Kikyo asked and Sango just shrugged.

"Not to me. I mean to other girls." Kagome said. "You two make the perfect girlfriends, so when they see you with guys they consider perfect themselves, the intimidation is massive."

"Sesshomaru is intimidating as well, so why do girls fawn over him?" Inuyasha asked with an eyebrow raised at his older brother. Sesshomaru glanced to Inuyasha and gave him a 'in your face' smirk.

"Well I am sure a lot of people can tell that Sesshomaru isn't the type of man to hurt a girl, so they see that in him and probably expect him to bend to their will." Kagome explained the best that she could, but they did not understand. She could tell rather quickly. "Okay, I'll put it to you like this... You all know about Sesshomaru and his extreme reluctance to purposely hurt a woman emotionally or physically, right?"

"Yeah... We get that." Miroku nodded.

"Well I'm sure you aren't the only people that have noticed." Kagome continued her explanation, "I think that the girls at school see that as well. They see it as a remarkable and honorable trait, but at the same time attempt to use it to their advantage. Since he doesn't like hurting women, they believe that he won't hurt them and will say yes if they ask him out."

"They think he'll say yes just because he doesn't want to hurt them?" Kikyo asked and Kagome nodded.

"Well although it's more apparent in Sesshomaru, that trait is in a lot of men." Miroku leaned back in his chair. Sango raised an eyebrow and scoffed at his statement, "No, no. I know a lot of men can be assholes, me included, but I have seen it where a girl likes a guy, but guy doesn't like girl, so guy avoids girl and hurts her feelings, or guy leads girl on because he doesn't really know what to say. She ends up thinking he is a jerk, when in all reality he just didn't know how to say no to her."

"I've seen that happen as well." Inuyasha nodded in agreement.

"Well this conversation has definitely turned..." Izayoi said glancing back and forth to the people in the room, "Why don't we go back to the Kagome moving in with Sesshomaru part?"

"Aw. I liked talking about that." Kagome said and then looked to Sesshomaru, "I have no problem moving in with you, hun. I do have a question though... How much is rent?" Inuyasha smacked himself in the forehead, Kikyo and Sango laughed, Miroku shook his head, while Izayoi, InuTaisho, and Sesshomaru just stared at her. "What... What did I say?"

"Honey, do you really think he is going to charge you rent?" Izayoi said softly.

"You can use the money you make from your job to get you more clothes, keep food in the house, and anything to do with paying for your schooling." InuTaisho said.

"Actually, I don't pay for school. It's free." Kagome told them and they all looked to her with a confused and looks of disbelief. "What?"

"Kagome... Everyone has to pay for Shugotenshi High." Sango said, "Did you get a scholarship or something?" Kagome shook her head no. "Then how are you going to the school?"

"I don't know. They transferred me there and said everything was already taken care of." Kagome explained and shrugged her shoulders, "I didn't even know until now that you had to pay." Everyone looked back and forth to each other. "Is that bad?"

"No dear..." Izayoi said shaking her head, "It's just that... Well..."

"Kagome, no one has ever entered Shugotenshi High School for free." InuTaisho explained to her, "It's real name isn't even Shugotenshi High. It's Shugotenshi Elite Academy of Fine Arts. The classes you are taking now aren't even on the main campus, you do know that right?" Kagome just shook her head.

"Kagome..." Sesshomaru stepped over to her, kneeling down next to her, "Shugotenshi Academy works a lot differently than most schools. Right now we are just in the High School part, but once you graduate from there, if your grades are good enough, you are automatically selected to come to the main campus to start your college courses at Shugotenshi Private University in Okinawa."

"That's weird... I've heard of Shugotenshi University, but..." Kagome thought about it and shook her head, "How am I even there then? I don't pay for anything. I don't have a scholarship. My grades have always been really good, but not enough to get me into a school like that for free. I don't understand."

"We'll find out for you." InuTaisho said with a reassuring smile, "For now, you and everyone else concentrate on getting you out of that neighborhood and into Sesshomaru's place. I'll see what I can do about finding out how you got into the school, okay?"

"Thank you..." Kagome said and Izayoi and InuTaisho walked out of the room. She looked around, feeling slightly awkward now. She lowered her gaze to the floor, but her chin was brought up by a strong soft hand. Sesshomaru just gave her a smile and a reassuring nod. She couldn't help but smile back to him. She leaned forward and placed a small kiss on his lips.

"Awwwwwwwww." Kikyo and Sango teased the two of them.

"Oh shush." Kagome said and went to get up, but was stopped by a sharp pain over her body. She kept still for a minute and then was helped up. "Thank you!" She said happily and then her eyes widened. A loud obnoxious growl came from her stomach, causing everyone to laugh, including Sesshomaru. "Ah, shush! I'm hungry."

"Come on... haha." Sesshomaru said, wrapping an arm around her waist and then leading her to the kitchen.

"Those two are so cute together." Sango said, sitting down next to Miroku.

"They are." Miroku agreed, placing a kiss on Sango's forehead.

Food was eaten and TV was watched, but something was slightly different between a few people. Kikyo was silent, not talking very much and it worried Inuyasha. Kagome seemed slightly distant to him and like she was distracted by something. Sesshomaru noticed this rather quickly and didn't know how he should handle it. With what had happened the night before, he didn't know what exactly was going through her mind and any time he asked her about it, she just shook her head and said everything was fine. He of course knew otherwise.

"Kagome..." Sesshomaru bent himself over the table to look at her. She kept her head lowered and looked away from him. "You're acting different. What's wrong? And don't tell me nothing, because you never turn your head from me when I'm talking to you. The fact that you are doing it now only makes me worry and proves something is wrong."

"Sesshomaru... It's just something that I need to deal with on my own." She looked to him and gave him an apologetic look. He sighed and shook his head, looking away from her. "Please don't be mad. I just need to figure this one out on my own."

"Does this have something to do with yesterday?" Sesshomaru said and she looked away, proving his suspicions were correct. Kagome looked up to the door to see Kikyo and Inuyasha pass by. Kikyo glanced towards her, giving a saddened look, which only made Kagome feel worse. The two of them were lying about something very important. She knew it wasn't fair to Kikyo to make her lie as well.

"_What do I do?" _Kagome asked herself, laying her forehead on the table in front of her. She felt Sesshomaru's touch and looked up. He was pushing her hair out of the plate she had just been eating off of. She smiled to him and he just stared at her. It upset him to know she was refusing to tell him something that was obviously bugging her.

"You really aren't going to tell me... are you?" He asked and she shook her head no. "I thought you could tell me anything? What's changed?"

"Nothing's changed..." Kagome said and he looked angrily at her. "Look.. Nothing has changed between you and I. Nothing. I just have to figure this one out on my own. Okay? I need you to accept that, Sesshomaru."

"Is it... about what I told you yesterday?" Sesshomaru asked when he remembered their conversation, "About my past, I mean..." Kagome didn't know how to reply to that. Technically there was a bit about his past that she was worried about, but not in the way that he was thinking. "I see." He said, feeling that her silence was enough to confirm it, "I'm sorry. I'll leave you to your thoughts..." Sesshomaru stood up, a solemn expression being made as he turned to leave the dining room. Secretly he hoped that Kagome would stop him from walking out, but when she did not, it hurt him. So much regret flooded his emotions and thoughts. _"They were right... I should have told her much sooner than this." _

"_Oh no..." _Kagome laid her head on the table after he walked out, _"Now he's going to think that I am mad at him for lying to me. I'm not! I just... I don't know how to tell him what really happened to me."_

"Kagome..." Izayoi's voice came through the doorway and Kagome looked up to her, "You really, really shouldn't lie to him about something this huge..." Izayoi came over to her and sat down next to her. "If you keep lying about it, he'll feel worse and worse about the situation. He'll feel that you can't trust him, and probably assume he is the one that has done something wrong."

"I know... And forcing Kikyo to keep a secret like his isn't fair to her either." Kagome nodded as a few tears soaked her cheeks, "I just don't know how to tell him. How are you supposed to tell the man you love that his past is coming back to not only hurt him, but the woman he loves as well? How do I tell him that?"

"You love him?" Izayoi asked and Kagome nodded, "Then you know what you need to do Kagome. If you love someone... You don't keep something like this from them. And yes... I am speaking from experience."

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked her.

"I am sure that people have told you I am sick a lot..." Izayoi said and Kagome nodded, "For two years I lied to my family about having cancer. I was getting sicker and sicker. No one understood why, but one day it stopped and the cancer was gone. I got a letter in the mail about my blood tests, but unfortunately I was not the one who opened them... InuTaisho was. He was so furious." Izayoi smiled, but had tears coming down her own eyes. "Even though the tests came back saying that I was free of the disease... He was so angry... so, so angry. It was because I was working through something on my own that he desperately would have wanted to be there with me for. I made him, my sons, and their friends all watch as I suffered and refused to tell them the truth. I put on a fake smile and laugh just to keep them from knowing and not a single day goes by that I don't regret it. I should have told them. I really and truly wish I did, so please Kagome... Get up the courage to tell Sesshomaru what really happened... Otherwise you could regret it every day of your life. There is also that chance that a lie as big as that could completely ruin your relationship. Do you want that?"

"No.. No of course I don't want that, bu-" Kagome shook her head.

"Then tell him." Izayoi said, placing a hand on Kagome's. "Tell him the truth."

"He's gonna be so mad." Kagome began to sob, her tears soaking her face even more.

"But you won't regr-" Izayoi began, but was interrupted.

"Not at me." Kagome shook her head again, "Not at me. He's going to want to do something to them, whether he does the job or kicks their ass or.. I don't know. I just don't want him to go after them or anything, and for some reason I have this overwhelming feeling that if I tell him, he will."

"I see." Izayoi had not thought of that before.

"Yeah. That's the big difference between what happened to you and what happened to me." Kagome told her, "InuTaisho couldn't do anything to get himself killed in that situation. Sesshomaru can. I just want him to teach me to fight, so they can't get me again."

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but..." Izayoi took in a deep breath and nodded to her, "In this situation you might be the one right. You've got three months correct?" Kagome nodded. "Well use that time to learn to kick some ass, because the moment that deadline passes, they'll come after you and they'll come after him, so you better learn and learn fast."

"I will." Kagome nodded with a new found determination.

"Well for now, I think it's best that you concentrate on getting your things to Sesshomaru's place." Izayoi changed the subject to relieve tension, "So where are you going to sleep?"

"I assumed in his bed." Kagome said with a innocent smile, although Izayoi could see the real intention behind it.

"Oh you're bad." Izayoi giggled and stood up, helping Kagome to her feet as gently as she could.

"Like that isn't how you and InuTaisho created Inuyasha." Kagome smiled to her as they walked out to the living room. Sesshomaru and the rest were all ready to get going. They were going to help Kagome get moved in, but Kagome didn't see why. "Um... You do realize that the only things I have to get from my apartment are a bag of clothes, right?"

"Yes, but we want to see where you've been living." Sango told her with an excited smile.

"How embarrassing." Kagome sighed and shook her head. She walked over to Sesshomaru and looked straight up to him. He stared back down at her with an emotionless gaze. "You ready to go?" He nodded and the two silently walked out, everyone following suspiciously behind them.

"Is it me.. or is there something going on between the two?" Sango asked Kikyo. All Kikyo did was nod, knowing that she could not spill the beans about what was truly going on. Sango noticed this and gave her a suspicious look as well. _"Well... Something is definitely up."_

**End Of Chapter!**

**Reviews Appreciated!**


	19. Telling The Truth

Chapter Nineteen: Telling The Truth

The ride over was silent. The tension in the air made it awkward and uncomfortable for those in the car. Sango kept busy by looking out the window. She was stunned at the part of the city that Kagome lived in. It was poor, dirty, and rundown. She definitely didn't feel safe here, and their car was catching the attention of practically every person on the street. Miroku on the other hand kept fiddling with his cell phone while Inuyasha tried to get Kikyo to talk to him, but she just kept shaking her head and saying everything was fine. Sesshomaru ended up noticing that and correctly assumed that Kikyo knew what was going on, which hurt him more. Kagome could tell her, but not him.

A saddened look came on his face and he just looked out the window. They were almost there now. The tension in the air continued to thicken. If it could, it would have choked the life out of everyone in the car. After a horrible ten minute ride, the car pulled up to a tall and badly taken care of apartment building. Kagome already dreaded the moment that they would enter the place that she had been living for so long. They all stepped out of the car and Kagome lead them up the stairs. The first thing anyone noticed was the fact that they avoided the elevator. It still wasn't working right. After going up a few floors, and refusing to get too close to the walls, Kagome stepped up to her door. It was open. She took a step back, wondering what had happened.

"What is it?" Sesshomaru asked when she stopped.

"It's open..." Kagome said and looked down to the door handle. It was broken and some of the wood from the door had been broken off. "Someone broke in." She sighed and started walking in, but was stopped when Sesshomaru placed his hand on her stomach. The guys walked in first and checked everything out, not like there was much to check. After everything was in the clear, Kagome and the rest walked in and looked around.

"Everything's here." Sesshomaru said and everyone looked to him.

"Are you kidding me?" Inuyasha looked around and shook his head, "No. Nothing is here. No bed, no TV, no food in the fridge. They stole everything!"

"No..." Kagome shook her head and sighed, "This is all I have." She walked over to a plastic container that was about as big as a laundry basket and opened it up. She just stared inside of it for a few seconds and then closed her eyes. Anger filled her heart. She clenched her fists and jaw tightly shut to the point where it hurt. "It's gone..." she said through clenched teeth, "It's all gone." Sesshomaru stepped over and saw that there was nothing but a folder and small piece of paper in it. "Everything that I had. My clothes, saved money, my Mom's necklace... It's gone."

"What's this?" Sesshomaru reached in and picked up the small piece of paper. He turned it over and raised an eyebrow when he saw the words 'three months' on it. Kagome stood up and looked at it.

"I don't know..." She took the piece of paper and read the note. She kept a blank face and did her best to act like it was nothing by flipping the paper over to see the blank side. She tossed it off to the side and shook her head. "Well... I have nothing to get. My clothes are gone. They even took my Mom's necklace. Damn it... Why did they have to take that?" She raised her hands to her eyes and covered them as tears dropped down. Sesshomaru walked over to her and pulled her into his arms.

"What was that necklace for?" He asked.

"My mom gave it to me before they took me away from her." Kagome said and everyone looked to her as if she was crazy. "Oh.. You guys don't even know that, do you? Um... I was originally adopted."

"Wow, really?" Sango asked and Kagome nodded.

"Please.. I don't want to talk about it right now. I just want to get home." Kagome said with a sigh, not letting go of Sesshomaru.

"Already calling it home, huh?" Sango said and Kagome smiled. "Cute!"

"Well I have figured out that there is only one place I call home." Kagome said and looked up to Sesshomaru. She pushed herself up to her tiptoes and kissed his cheek, not knowing whether he would want a kiss on the lips right now. He gave a weak smile and nodded. Kagome went over to the container and picked up the folder, turning to them.

"Let's just go, okay?" He said and everyone walked out of the apartment. This ride was no different, filled with silence and tension, but not as much as before. Kagome kept her head laid on Sesshomaru's shoulder. It made him feel slightly better, but he still felt guilty.

"Well... since we didn't have to get anything because some assholes stole your things..." Sango spoke up to ease the tension, "What do you want to do?"

"Learn to fight..." Kagome said with a smile, "But I think I should wait until my body is up for it."

"I think that's a good idea." Sango said with a smile and a small laugh. "So what do you actually want to do?"

"In all honesty... I really just want to relax today." Kagome said with closed eyes and a sigh, "I know I slept all day, but I'm tired. My body hurts, I feel lightheaded, and now all of my stuff is gone, so I am not really up for any kind of activity."

"All right. We'll go home." Sesshomaru said and nodded to the driver.

Sesshomaru and Kagome were dropped off, the driver taking everyone else somewhere that they wanted to go. Walking through the lobby and towards the elevator, Sesshomaru noticed Kagome covering her mouth to hide a rather large yawn. Just for a bit of fun, he picked her up and held her gently in his arms. A small smile formed on her face and she raised her hands to clench his shirt within the dainty laces of her fingers. She closed her eyes and before she knew it, she was being placed softly onto his bed. He took off her shoes, socks, and covered her up.

"You're too good to me." Kagome said as she opened her exhausted eyes and looked up to him.

"No..." He leaned down and kissed her forehead, "I just love you." Before he could stand up fully, she placed her arms around his back and held him close. His body pretty much laying on top of hers, she gave him a tight hug, wanting nothing more than to tell him how much she cared for him. "Sleep well, okay?" Sesshomaru told her as he stood up, leaving the hug. Kagome nodded and closed her eyes, while Sesshomaru took a seat on a couch in the living room to watch a bit of TV.

A few hours passed by and Kagome was still asleep. Sesshomaru had gotten himself something to eat and was enjoying his relaxing time in front of the TV and watching a soccer game he had recorded. Unfortunately, Kagome wasn't able to relax as much as she would have hoped. She kept tossing and turning, her mind forcing horrible images into her head while she was sleeping. The nightmares were only getting worse the longer she slept.

_Kagome's Dream..._

"_Where is he?" She ran forward in a panic. From what she could tell she was in a thick forest, but had no clue where exactly she was. She had been running for quite a long time. "Where are you, damn it!" She looked for him, desperately trying to find where he was. "SESSHOMARU!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, tears forming to soak her dry eyes. Fear filled her mind since she was unable to find him. In front of her, she saw an opening. She ran forward faster and faster, until she left the forest and was in a valley. _

"_SESSHOMARU!" She screamed out as she saw him. It was dark, the clouds were gray, and the wind picked up to the point where she was having trouble keeping her ground. Sesshomaru was at least one hundred feet away, standing on a cliff. His hair was blowing wildly in the wind as he glanced back to her. All she could see was anger and hatred in his eyes. "SESSHOMARU WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"_

"_YOU LIED TO ME!" He yelled back to her, causing her heart to jump. The anger in his eyes was because of the betrayal he felt from her. "YOU TOLD ME YOU COULD TELL ME ANYTHING! THAT YOU COULD TRUST ME! YOU LIED!" _

"_SESSHOMARU..." She shook her head with a saddened look, "I DID IT TO PROTECT YOU!" Did he not understand her intentions behind it? She just wanted to keep him safe. _

"_NO! YOU DIDN'T TRUST ME ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO PROTECT YOU!" He yelled back and then looked away from her, "AND NOW LOOK WHAT HAS HAPPENED! YOU'RE COVERED IN YOUR OWN BLOOD!"_

"_What?" Kagome was confused. She looked down to her body and her eyes widened. Pain suddenly shot through her body and she fell to her knees, holding herself. _

"_YOU SEE! YOU WERE RIGHT NOT TO TRUST ME!" Sesshomaru looked back to her with tears in his eyes, "I COULDN'T PROTECT YOU! I LET HIM HURT YOU!"_

"_SESSHOMARU! THIS IS NOT YOUR FAULT!" Kagome yelled back to him while forcing herself to her feet. She began walking towards him, "I LOVE YOU! YOU CAN PROTECT ME FROM HIM! YOU CAN! I KNOW IT!"_

"_NO I CAN'T! THIS IS WHY I HAVE TO DO THIS!" Sesshomaru yelled back and her eyes widened._

"_SE-SESSHOMARU NO!" She screamed as loud as she could and ran forward, ignoring the immense amount of pain that she felt in her body. Sesshomaru didn't say anything else. He stepped closer to the cliff. "NO! PLEASE DON'T SESSHOMARU!" Kagome ran faster until she couldn't force her legs to move any faster. She watched in horror as Sesshomaru walked off the edge of the cliff. She reached out to him, allowing her body to fall to hopefully catch his wrist. She did._

"_What are you doing?" Sesshomaru asked her, "Let me go."_

"Sesshomaru, I love you. I don't want you to leave me." Kagome said, but he just shook his head. He reached up and grabbed onto her hand, purposely loosening it. "Sesshomaru no. I can't keep holding you.. You're to heavy for me. Please." 

"_Good bye, Kagome." Sesshomaru forced her hand to let go. Kagome's eyes widened and she screamed at the top of her lungs. She watched him fall._

_Dream Over..._

"NO!" Kagome screamed out as she sat up from the bed. Her eyes were wide open as she looked around the room. "Sesshomaru..." tears dropped down her cheeks and she jumped out of bed. She ran towards the door, only to bump into Sesshomaru's' chest. He caught her before she fell back.

"Kagome, what's wrong?" He gave her a worried look and she just stared up at him. "Kagome... Are you okay?" He asked again and she shook her head. She stood up straight and slowly moved her hand up to touch the side of his face. He placed his hand on top of hers and she suddenly began to cry hysterically. She felt weak and lowered herself to the floor, not being able to stand normally.

"I'm sorry." she shook her head over and over again, holding her stomach. He kneeled down next to her and placed a hand on her shoulder, but she moved away slightly. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." she just kept repeating it. Sesshomaru felt his stomach turn. What the hell happened to make her freak out like that? He picked her up bridal style and took her over to the bed. Sitting her down, he sat down next to her and pulled her into him. "I'm so, so sorry..." She said through her sobs.

"Kagome, what happened? Why are you sorry?" He asked her and she just kept shaking her head.

"I saw you... You jumped. I-I... I couldn't save you." she explained.

"Baby, that was a dream." He said and she looked up to him, "I am here. We are safe, and remember that I am the one that is supposed to protect you, okay?" He said with a slight smile. Kagome just shook her head again.

"That's why you jumped off the cliff in my dream, Sesshomaru..." Kagome lowered her head, "You said that you had to do it because you couldn't protect me. I was covered in my own blood. I ran to you when you jumped and caught you, but you forced me to let go. When you fell... I felt so helpless, like everything, my entire world was crashing down around me."

"What was I unable to protect you from?" Sesshomaru asked in curiosity.

"The man that did this to me..." Kagome pointed to her wounds and kept her head lowered. "I lied to you..."

"About what?" Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at her.

"I wasn't mugged by some random guys..." Kagome said and then moved away from him, "Naraku kidnapped me and took me to your old gang boss Onigumo." She couldn't hold the lie in anymore.

"What?" Sesshomaru's eyes widened in absolute rage. He stood up off the bed and stepped towards her in a very intimidating manner. She took a step back, but he kept coming closer until her back hit the wall behind her. Sesshomaru clenched his fist and placed it up against the wall beside her head. He leaned down until he was at eye level with her. "Say that... again."

"N-Naraku... H-He grabbed me a-and took me to O-Onigumo..." She said and the anger in his eyes only increased, causing the fear in hers to as well.

"Why.. the FUCK WOULD YOU LIE TO ME ABOUT THAT!" Sesshomaru pulled his fist back from the wall and slammed it into it again, causing a hole to form. He pulled his arm out of the newly opened hole in the wall and placed his hand under her chin, grabbing her rather harshly. "WHY!"

"You're scaring me." She said as she placed her hand on his chest, trying to push him away. Irritated with her refusal to answer his question, he stood up straight and pushed himself up against her. He placed his knee between her legs and used it to pull her up to his height. Kagome, now off of her own feet, grabbed onto his shirt with fear in her eyes. Her hands were shaking, and her heart was beating faster than normal.

"Explain to me... why you lied." Sesshomaru said, seeming to almost need an answer for it.

"I-I... I just..." Kagome couldn't speak. Her breathing was becoming irregular and it was getting a lot harder to take in air. Sesshomaru moved his face closer to hers, waiting for his answer. Giving up, Kagome just lowered her head and spoke out in a whisper, "I just didn't want you to go back to them."

"What? What are you talking about?" He asked, forcing her to look up to him again.

"I didn't want you to go back to them." She said again, "Onigumo told me that in three months he wants you for some sort of delivery job, and that if you didn't do it he'd kill me. I think that hurting me like this was supposed to show you how serious he was." Sesshomaru's eyes widened, the anger gone but fear soon replaced that. He lowered her back to the ground, allowing her to stand on her own feet. He backed up and sat down on the bed, staring at her. "I don't want you to do it... I don't want you to have to go back to doing things like that..."

"Kagome..." Sesshomaru shook his head and sighed, "I'm going to have to."

"NO!" She yelled in a pleading manner.

"I WILL NOT LOSE YOU!" Sesshomaru stood up and yelled, causing her to back away. "I won't. I can't. I will not lose you, especially when I could do something about it. I'll do the job."

"No..." She pleaded with him, "They'll hurt you Sesshomaru. I know they will. I don't want to lose you either, so please don't make me."

"I have three months correct?" He asked and she nodded. "I take it that is why you wanted to start learning to fight?" She nodded again. "Well I'll teach you. In that time, I will."

"Good." Kagome said relieved, thinking that meant he would stay away from Onigumo. She moved into his arms and held him tightly. He did not hesitate to hug her back, and kissed the top of her head.

"Kagome." He said and she loosened her hug to look up at him. He gave her a serious look and placed a kiss on her lips. "Do not... ever... lie to me... about something that important.. again."

"I swear." Kagome nodded and pushed herself up to kiss his lips again. "You scared me. That's another reason why I was so scared of telling you the truth. Inuyasha didn't call you immediately when they saw me like that because he was worried about you going off on someone."

"Wait, they know?" Sesshomaru felt a bit of anger come back to him.

"Oh, no no. I told them the same thing I told you." Kagome said waving her hands with a smile. He calmed down and nodded to her. "Kikyo and Izayoi knew. I won't lie about that. Izayoi caught me in my lie because she was the one who answered the door when they dropped me off at the house. She saw them drive off. Kikyo knew because she busted Izayoi busting me."

"I see..." Sesshomaru sighed and sat back down, pulling her into his lap.

"I'm sorry I lied... I really am, but I was scared." Kagome said and he nodded in understanding. "And you are really scary when you get mad. I don't like it when you're mad at anyone, but when you're mad at me, it only makes it a thousand times worse."

"I'm sorry if I frightened you." He said, "But know that I would never hurt you."

"You didn't scare me like I thought you were going to hurt me." She said and he looked her straight in the eye, "It was more of a 'I can't believe I made him this angry' feeling. I could tell that you really needed an answer about why I lied..."

"Everyone has a reason for lying..." Sesshomaru said with a sigh, "When someone lies to me, I prefer to know why so I can have a more stable reaction to it. If you had said something about wanting to take care of it yourself, or thinking that I wouldn't be able to handle it, I would be much more angry."

"I trust in your ability to handle any situation." Kagome said with a smile, "I just really didn't want you to feel obligated to have to go back and do something illegal. I know you didn't like that life, otherwise you would have never came back to your family."

"That is true." He smiled to her and placed another kiss on her lips, but kept it a little longer. Once the kiss broke he just sat there and held her, the two enjoying each others company for a while.

**End Of Chapter!**

**Reviews Appreciated!**


	20. Time To Train

Chapter Twenty: Time To Train

Two weeks and Kagome felt as good as new. Her stitches had all healed rather well, only leaving two major scars, on on her belly, another on her upper back. She was okay with it though. As long as Sesshomaru was fine, so was she. The two had calmed down over the night that she had gotten those injuries and decided to move on with their lives. Kikyo did feel a lot better when Sesshomaru and Kagome gave her permission to tell Inuyasha and the rest what had actually happened that day. Of course they were all extremely pissed off at Onigumo and were even thinking of some way to bring him down so it won't ever happen again, but that was a story for another day.

Their Spring Break was over and school had started once again. Returning to their usual schedules consisting of class, lunch, class, practice, and then going home was still tiring, but Kagome seemed to be enjoying it. She knew that she would be starting her training soon, and since Soccer season wasn't starting for a few more weeks, Sesshomaru wouldn't have to worry about any actual games. The group met in front of the school like they usually did and took their car to the estate. Kagome was even more excited when they arrived. She had always thought about learning to do some sort of martial arts before, but never really had the chance. Thanks to Sesshomaru and maybe a bit of help from Inuyasha, she was going to be able to.

"You seem excited to start training." Sango asked and Kagome nodded.

"I am. I've always wanted to learn something like this, so I'm glad it's happening." Kagome said as she was lead into the house. Kikyo and Sango raised eyebrows and looked up to Sesshomaru.

"You haven't told her, have you?" Sango asked and Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow.

"Told her what?" He asked. They looked back down to Kagome, who was giving them a confused look.

"Kagome... I know watching the movies and things on TV make Karate and things like that look really fun, but getting to that point is hectic." Sango explained to her, "It's blood, sweat, pain, and exhaustion. I really hope you do enjoy it, but when Kikyo and I tried it, we gave up. Sesshomaru is a tough teacher."

"He'll probably go easy on her." Miroku said with a smile. "If he's still wanting to get a little something something from her." Everyone shot a glare towards Miroku.

"Well he might go easier on you because of how much you mean to him." Kikyo said.

"Wrong." Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at her, "Not only due to the situation, but because he loves her, he'll go even harder on her than he did on us. If she sticks to it and gets good, she'll probably end up surpassing us within a month because of how much tougher he'll be on her."

"You're going to be tougher on me?" Kagome looked back to him, giving a pleading look, but that changed nothing. Sesshomaru nodded seriously to her. "And I thought being the girlfriend would give me a bit of an advantage."

"Oh it does." Kikyo said with a giggle. "Do what I do to Inuyasha. Use your 'stuff'."

"My stuff?" Kagome raised an eyebrow and Kikyo leaned into whisper in her ear. Kagome's eyes widened and she blinked. She looked back to Sesshomaru, her face turning a deep red. "Oh my."

"Hey, it works every time and it's a female secret, so no letting it out." Kikyo said. Kagome nodded and waved as Sango and Kikyo walked off with Inuyasha and Miroku. Sesshomaru looked at Kagome's face and saw that it was still red. She was looking off in a daze, and her face was becoming redder.

"What the hell are you thinking about to make you blush that much?" Sesshomaru asked her.

"O-Oh! Nothing, nothing." She gave an innocent smile, "Now let's go fight!" Kagome began walking towards the area that she knew the dojo was in. Sesshomaru glanced towards Kikyo and then looked back towards Kagome suspiciously.

Sesshomaru opened the door for her. She entered and nodded in an impressed manner. There were polished hardwood floors, columns in the ceiling, and it was decorated with different types of weapons all over the wall. She stepped over to the middle of the large room and then looked back to him with a smile.

"So... where do we get started?" Kagome asked him.

"Get dressed." He picked up a basic black karate uniform and tossed it to her. She nodded and began to change, but he stopped her, "Kagome..." He chuckled slightly, "Over there." He pointed to a room and she laughed embarrassingly at herself. She nodded and walked to the room. She quickly changed into the uniform and stepped out to see that Sesshomaru had changed as well. "Now... Stand here." He pointed to a spot in front of himself. She moved into place. He showed her how to stance, she mimicked it. "First thing I want you to learn is how to block and evade attacks."

"Okay..." She kept her fists up, but her guard was week. Suddenly Sesshomaru threw a quick jab towards her chest and the only thing she could do was back up. Tripping over her own feet, she fell backwards. She shot an angry glare up to him, "What was that for?"

"You're going to have to learn to watch and react. Your reflexes must increase." He held out a hand to her and once she took it, he helped her to her feet. "Now do your best to watch my movements. I don't train the way other teachers do. I won't hold back. I'm not going to have you constantly kick at the air to memorize just how to do the move. You will learn by me attacking you. I'll correct you what you've done wrong and you will learn from it."

Kagome gave a determined nod and once again returned to the beginning stance. She watched him as closely as she felt she could and he went to strike. Confusing her with a kick instead of a punch, she was taken off guard and kicked in that side. She stumbled a bit, holding her side. She glared at him again, but pushed it off quickly. Returning to the stance, the two continued this over and over again.

Hours passed and bruises were created. Kagome was sweating, weak, tired, and out of breath. A relieved breath was let out by the young woman before she once again pushed herself to her feet. Raising her fists and watching him again, she narrowed her eyes and focused. Almost as if it was in slow motion, the next strike she could see. It was a punch to the chest. Kagome's only reaction was to lean back, moving enough to duck under the punch. Sesshomaru smirked and sent another strike. She dodged. He sent another and another, and once again she was able to dodge.

"Good!" He said excitedly and moved in to kiss her, but was taken off guard when she sent her own fist to his chest. He allowed it to hit and looked down to where she struck him. He rubbed it and nodded, "Not bad. You've got some force behind those fists of yours." Kagome blushed and looked off, a sweet smile forming on her face. "Now... I think we should rest. I'll have some food brought here."

"Okay..." Kagome dropped down to the floor and laid down on her back. "It's.. hot." She untied the belt and opened up the top part of her shirt, revealing a black lacy bra. She closed her eyes and tried to catch her breath. Sesshomaru couldn't help but watch as her chest went up and down. He was slightly turned on at the shine she had on her skin. Pushing off his arousing thoughts, he turned away from her and walked over to a phone on the wall. He made a quick call and hung up. He then walked over to her and sat down.

"You should close your shirt. Izayoi is going to be bringing some food for us." Sesshomaru told her, but she didn't do anything. She just opened her eyes and stared up at him. "Stubborn." was all he said and he closed it for her.

"You called her Mom before. What changed?" She asked him and he shrugged. "You still haven't told her how you feel.. have you? If I remember right, that was part of our deal. I trust you, you tell her."

"Yeah... I know..." He sighed and looked away, "It's not something that I can just right out say."

"Why not?" Kagome sat up and crawled over to him. On all fours, she pressed her lips against his, purposely moving forward to have her perfectly round breasts push up against his well toned chest. "You know... You don't have to be so hard on me. This is my first time doing anything like this."

"Did you just change the subject?" He asked and she nodded, "Well, I want you to start strong and learn quickly. You are doing better than I thought. Don't take any offense to this, but I honestly thought you might have a few break downs... or get freaked out at me having to attack you."

"No." Kagome shook her head and pressed her lips against his again, "I have learned to trust you, and since I have learned a few things about you as of recently, it makes me feel even better."

"And what have you learned?" He said, pulling her into him even more. He laid back and pulled her body to lay onto him.

"That I'm not the only one." Kagome smiled, running her fingers softly through his hair.

"The only one what?" He said.

"Overcoming A Dark Past." she told him and his eyes softened towards her. He placed his hand on the back of her head, pulling her into him until their lips touched again. Kagome closed her eyes and opened her lips, inviting him in. Sesshomaru of course took this moment to slide his tongue over hers. Kagome moved her arms around his neck as the kiss deepened along with their excitement. Kagome began to breathe rather heavy as she pressed her lips harder against his. Their tongues wrestled over one another, the two becoming more aroused by the moment. Sesshomaru began sliding his hand into the top of her uniform, sliding his fingers up her stomach and towards her breasts.

"Eh-em." someone cleared their throats. Kagome and Sesshomaru jumped, startled by the sudden intrusion of privacy. Izayoi stood at the entrance with a smirk on her face. The two of them stood up, Kagome closing her shirt again.

"Izay-... I mean um..." Sesshomaru glanced back to Kagome and sighed, "Mom.. Th-thanks for the food." He noticed her holding a platter. Izayoi nodded and walked over to them, placing the platter down on a table on the side of the room.

"I'm sorry if I interrupted, but I was asked to bring you some food." Izayoi said with a smile. Kagome blushed and stepped behind Sesshomaru, hiding herself. Izayoi looked up to Sesshomaru with an even bigger smile, "You called me Mom... That's the second time."

"Yeah... I know." Sesshomaru rubbed the back of his head and looked away.

"Tell her." Kagome whispered into his ear, nudging him.

"Yeah.. okay. Um..." Sesshomaru looked to Izayoi and took in a deep breath, "Izay-... Mom... for years now you have felt guilty about what happened with my Mother when you came."

"Sesshomaru... You don-" Izayoi began to step away, but he grabbed her arm and held her hand gently.

"You don't have to feel guilty. I don't want you to feel guilty. Not anymore." He said with a smile, "I know I blamed you when I was a kid, but I don't anymore. It wasn't your fault. It has never been your fault. I know that you both were lied to by Dad."

"I would rather you blame me, not him." Izayoi said with tears forming in her eyes.

"I don't blame him either. My Mother is the one who chose the easy way out instead of dealing with her emotions and moving on. She is the one that chose to leave." Sesshomaru explained to her. "I just want you to know that I don't blame you for any of it, and I'm sorry for making you suffer for so long."

"Oh gosh..." Izayoi was so happy she couldn't help but cry. She stepped forward and hugged him. "Thank you, Sesshomaru... Thank you." Sesshomaru smiled and returned her hug. After a few moments, Izayoi let go and smiled up to him while wiping her tears away.

"Just go get some rest, Mom." Sesshomaru kept a smile and she nodded. She turned and walked away, stepping out of the dojo.

"Aw! You are amazing." Kagome jumped up and into his arms. He easily caught her and the two shared a kiss. As she pulled away, she placed another kiss on his cheek. "Did you see how happy she was? That was so cool!"

"You're silly. Now you should eat." He walked her over to the table and set her down. He picked up a sandwich that was brought and handed it to her. With a content smile, she took it and ate. Sesshomaru of course did the same.

After the two rested and were done eating, they went right back into a gruesome training session. Kagome was already getting pretty good at dodging, but using her arms or legs to block an attack was way off. Sesshomaru thought she was already ready to move on, so he told her to do her best to attack. After he'd strike, she would dodge, and then she would attempt to attack when she felt she had the ability to, but that was rare. They continued this tiring routine until the moon was high in the sky. It was probably about ten o'clock and a few more sandwiches before they realized they should probably stop their training. Kagome's legs suddenly went weak and she fell to the floor, completely out of breath.

"Oh... Okay... I th-think it's about time... we stop for the night." Kagome took in a deep breath, speaking between inhales and exhales. Her arms giving way, she let her body hit the floor and looked up to him with a weak smile.

"It's late, so yes. We can go home." Sesshomaru said, helping her back to her feet. Kagome let out a yawn and held her side. It seemed to be the one place that she was unable to guard during their training session.

"I'm going to be sore tonight... I'm so tired. I didn't get any of my homework done either." Kagome grabbed tightly onto his hand as the two walked out of the dojo. "First day back and I am already screwing up my grades."

"That's okay. When is it due?" Sesshomaru lead her to the car and they got inside.

"Some tomorrow, some Friday, another next week." Kagome closed her eyes and leaned her head onto his shoulder.

A few minutes passed and they arrived at their home. Every single time she returned to this place, she felt more and more at home. She loved being able to live with someone again, and to live with Sesshomaru only made it better. Entering the apartment, they set their backpacks onto the couch and walked to the bedroom. They didn't even realized that they were still wearing their training uniform. Kagome immediately removed her clothing, once again not caring whether Sesshomaru was standing right there. He raised an eyebrow and shook his head with a smile.

"You really are getting comfortable around me." Sesshomaru chuckled and she looked back to him.

"Oh! Uh..." She grabbed onto the uniform and held it over her body. "Well uh.. Hm. I'm sorry! I'm still getting used to not only sharing an apartment, but a room as well."

"And a bed... and a bathroom..." He chuckled again while pulling off his shirt. Kagome's eyes widened momentarily in excitement as she saw his bare chest. Sesshomaru didn't notice it. She stared at him as he tossed it into the dirty clothes basket.

"Eh.. I don't care." Kagome just dropped her arms and stopped hiding herself, "I trust you and it's not like you haven't seen me a hundred times." She continued removing her clothes until she was down in her bra and matching underwear. She stepped into the bathroom and washed cool water over her face. Sesshomaru leaned to the side, peeking around the corner to watch her as she bent over the counter to wash her face. Making an obvious attempt to check her out, Sesshomaru had an aroused smirk move onto his lips. As she stood up, he quickly turned away. She did notice this.

"Saw that..." Kagome giggled and turned to him. She leaned back on the counter and he walked back over to her. He stepped up until his body was completely against hers. Kagome practically had to bend her head all the way back to look at him. He leaned down and pressed his lips onto hers, giving her a passionate and exhilarating kiss. The two of them could feel the love coming from each of them. It was an intense and breathtaking feeling for them both.

Sesshomaru brought his hands around to her back, fiddling with her bra. Kagome wrapped her arms around him, holding him close. He pulled away momentarily, only to take in a new breath, and then pushed her up onto the counter behind her. Kissing her again, but this time a bit rougher, she could feel a dominance coming over him. He wanted her. The passion and heat was overwhelming them both. A low moan echoed from the throat of the woman, her heart skipping a beat. She pulled back, breaking the kiss and looked up to him.

"Kagome..." He whispered through an excited breath, "I want you... I really do, but..."

"But?" Kagome looked up to him, slightly disappointed.

"I'm not sure if this is the right time." He said and she looked down to the floor. She looked away and sighed. "I'm sorry..." he said, but she shook her head.

"No... I know where you're coming from." Kagome smiled and leaned up and kissed him, "I think it's extremely honorable... the way you refuse to do things too soon, but can I ask you a question?" He nodded and she cleared her throat. "Well... Are you wanting to wait to have sex... for marriage?"

"... Yeah..." Sesshomaru nodded and looked away.

"Sesshomaru!" Kagome practically smacked herself.

"What?" He raised an eyebrow.

"What do you think!" Kagome jumped off the counter and looked away, "If you were saving yourself for something like that, you should have told me! I would have backed off. I would have calmed down about it. I wouldn't be 'using my stuff' like Kikyo said."

"That's what she told you?" He asked and Kagome nodded.

"She was talking about how her and Inuya-... That is so not the point..." Kagome shook her head and looked up to him, "Sesshomaru. I love you, and I am sure with me constantly giving certain hints, that it drives you insane when trying to control yourself. Do you have any idea how embarrassing it is to pretty much throw myself at you a-a-and realize you are trying to save yourself?"

"It shouldn't be embarrassing..." Sesshomaru said.

"Okay.. wrong word. Guilty.. That is what I mean. It makes me feel bad to tease you the way I have been when you really want to save yourself for something like that." Kagome told him, "I know you said you wanted to take it slow, but how slow... you never told me that."

"I'm sorry, Kagome." Sesshomaru went and sat down on the bed.

"No, no, no. Don't be sorry." Kagome giggled and shook her head, "I'll just stop getting all hot and heavy around you." She stuck her tongue out at him, "Although... I know you like it."

"I do." Sesshomaru smirked.

"Well.. I'm taking a shower." Kagome went to the closet, which was now full of clothes that they had all bought her in the passed two weeks, and picked out a silky black nightgown. _"And this will be your punishment for not telling me what was going through your head." _The nightgown was obviously considered to be lingerie, not just something to sleep in. The upper part was a lacy bra and was complimented by thin shoulder straps. It came down to her mid-thigh and was slightly see through at that part over the stomach.

She hung it over her arm and picked out a 'sexy' pair of black underwear to match. She smiled and went to the shower. She turned on the water and waited for it to heat up. Once it did, she removed her current undergarments and tossed them to the side. She stepped in and closed her eyes as she felt the warm water fall down her naked body. Once she was soaked, she used the shampoo and conditioner that they also bought her to wash her hair. Once that was done, she used the soap that was also bought for her to clean her body. She rinsed herself and cooled the water slightly. She ran the water over her hair to relax. After a few moments, she turned off the water and stepped out. Using a towel that was hanging on the rack, she dried herself off and wrapped it around her hair. She changed into the nightgown that she picked out and did her best to dry her hair. Once she felt it was dry enough, she took off the now soaked towel and hung it over the shower to dry. She opened the door to the bathroom and stepped out.

"You look beautiful..." Sesshomaru said from the bed. He stood up and walked over to her. "I will be taking my own shower now." He picked up some clothes and stepped around her.

"Should have joined me. There might not be very much hot water left." Kagome said in a flirty tone. He just raised an eyebrow and closed the bathroom door, hiding a smile. He wanted her and she knew it, so she was taking advantage of it. She went and sat down on the bed, waiting for him to come out. She was laying on top of the covers and getting more and more tired by the minute. She closed her eyes in an attempt to rest them, but soon ended up falling asleep.

Sesshomaru left the shower feeling completely rejuvenated. He was dripping wet, using a towel to dry his hair, but ignored the rest of his body. He looked over with a smile as he saw Kagome curled up on the bed. After he dried the rest of his body, he put on a t-shirt and boxers and walked over to the bed, slipping under the covers. He rolled over towards her and pulled her sleeping body into him. He covered her up and placed her head upon the pillow. He took in a deep breath and relaxed, closing his eyes and soon followed her into a deep and comfortable sleep.

**End Of Chapter!**

**Reviews Are Appreciated!**


	21. Happy Birthday Sesshomaru

Chapter Twenty One: Happy Birthday Sesshomaru

May 20th, The Day Before

Six weeks have passed and Kagome's training was going very, very well. She was some how able to keep up with her grades and her training, but unfortunately was forced to quit her job. After missing too many days and the fear of sacrificing her grades, she decided that it was way too much for her to handle. Another day of school had passed by and the group met outside of school. All except for Sesshomaru had made it there a bit early.

"Okay, okay, okay!" an excited Kagome ran over to them, "His birthday is in two days. I want to do something special for him."

"Why don't you just give him the uh..." Kikyo gave her a mischievous look, obviously taking about a more sexual gift.

"No, no..." Kagome giggled and shook her head, "You guys are throwing him a party at the estate, but I don't have anything that I can give him. Oh.. are Rin and Shippo going to be able to show up?"

"Well... They aren't supposed to be able to go anywhere that the orphanage doesn't allow them." Inuyasha said and shrugged, "So probably not."

"How come they were able to go to the party before?" Kagome asked.

"That was a business party and Dad is the one who is investing in the orphanage to keep it open..." Inuyasha told her and Kagome nodded.

"Yeah, so what do you think you want to get Sesshomaru?" Sango asked.

"I have no clue..." Kagome leaned her back against a wall and sighed, "I have no idea what I can get him. I don't have any money... and NO!" She held up a hand when Sango went to say something, "I am not borrowing any more money from you guys. Sesshomaru pays for my food and shelter and all of you have bought me clothes and other things like that. I was forced to quit my job, which isn't helping and I only feel like I am using you guys."

"That isn't something you should be worrying about." Kikyo leaned her head on Inuyasha's shoulder.

"Yeah... Well it is. I want to give him something from the heart... Something from me, and I'm worried that I am not going to be able to." Kagome lowered her head and sighed.

"What are you not going to be able to do?" Sesshomaru walked over to her, making a sudden appearance next to her. She jumped slightly and looked up to him.

"Nothing... I'm just..." Kagome shook her head and walked away, "I just want to go home..." She began walking away from them, but was grabbed by Sango.

"Hey..." Sango whispered in her ear, "Dinner and dessert. Make it and bake it. We'll have the guys keep him busy for a couple of hours tomorrow. We'll help you and do it then."

"Oh..." Kagome smiled and jumped onto Sango, hugging her tightly. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you! I never even thought of that." Kagome's entire mood switched up. She was acting like a little girl again, jumping around a bit with a huge smile on her face.

"What are you thanking her for?" Sesshomaru asked suspiciously.

"Nothing, nothing. Let's go hooome." Kagome whined a bit and walked over to him. She grabbed his hand and waved bye to everyone. She dragged him along and headed home.

As the two were walking along, Kagome seemed happier than usual. The past few days she seemed upset and depressed, but suddenly she was acting rather happy. Sesshomaru tightened his hand around hers and stopped her from walking. Kagome blinked a few times and looked back to him.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"Are you?" Sesshomaru asked and she nodded, "Well you're acting slightly happier than before. How come you've been so depressed lately?"

"It's nothing. Just know that I'm okay now." Kagome smiled and turned to walk again, but was stopped by a man that she did not recognize. "Who are you?" she asked, but was suddenly pulled back. Sesshomaru stepped out in front of her and blocked the man from getting to close to her.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Sesshomaru said in a low angry voice.

"This.. is for you." The man held out a piece of paper and Sesshomaru snatched it away. He stepped back, pushing Kagome back as well. He opened the paper and read it.

_Hello Sesshomaru... It's been a while. I am sure by now you know that you only have two weeks before I am going to need you for that job. Be sure you aren't late. Here is the location: 1155 N Shiroyaku Street. Meet me in the abandoned warehouse. Come alone, or your precious little girlfriend dies. I'm sure you understand that. You also know that you can't hide. If you hide her, we'll go for your brother, if you hide him, we'll continue on down the list. Make sure you're there._

"Get the fuck away from me..." Sesshomaru crumbled the paper up and went to strike the man in front of him, but he pulled out a gun and pointed it at Sesshomaru's chest. Sesshomaru backed up, keeping an arm in front of Kagome to protect her.

"You've read the letter. You know what he wants." the man said and then began backing away, "Now just do what he says and you and your little bitch can continue on with your lives."

"I told him years ago that I quit. I'm not going back." Sesshomaru told him.

"Then she will die." the man said and then turned away. The two of them watched as the man walked off and looked to one another. Sesshomaru pulled her into his arms and held onto her as tight as he could without hurting her.

"Sesshomaru..." Kagome looked up to him and bit her bottom lip when she saw the amount of anger in his eyes, "Baby... It's okay. You and I have been training a-and I'm getting stronger and better at it, so they won't be abl-..."

"Kagome..." Sesshomaru placed a finger on her lips to quiet her down, "You and I both know... that no matter how much you train, how strong you get, or how fast you are... You will never be able to stop a bullet..." Sesshomaru kissed her forehead and then laced his hand within hers. "Let's go home."

It was obvious that Sesshomaru didn't wish to speak about it anymore. He just wanted to get her to a familiar and safe place. Once they got home, he locked the doors and lead her to the bedroom. The two changed into their sleep clothes and slid under the blankets of their bed. They laid together for the rest of the night, skipping dinner and going to sleep earlier than usual.

Friday morning came and the couple woke up to the annoying buzzing sound of the alarm clock on the bedside table. Kagome reached over and turned it off, slowly sitting up from the bed and heading to the bathroom. Sesshomaru did not move. He laid there staring at the ceiling with bags under his eyes. It was apparent that he had not slept through the night, but only laid in bed. The entire time, he watched over her as she slept peacefully in his arms.

"Sesshomaru..." Kagome peeked around the corner and smiled to him. He sat up and looked to her, giving a tired and weak smile back. She tilted her head and walked over, sitting down on the bed next to him, "You didn't sleep, did you?" He shook his head no. Kagome sighed and pushed his hair back behind his ear, "Honey... You don't have to worry about that asshole Onigumo. Just tell him to find someone else to do the job and that you're not interested in going back to that type of life."

"Kagome, it isn't that simple." He shook his head and stood up.

"How is it not that simple?" Kagome questioned, giving him an unbelieving look.

"It just isn't." He said as the two began to change into clean uniforms. Kagome looked sorrowfully to the floor and walked out of the room once she was dressed. Sesshomaru noticed this and sighed, wanting nothing more than to punch the wall out of anger. _"God damn it!" _He yelled in his thoughts, fighting the urge to shout, _"Why her? Why the fuck did he have to mess with her! And why did Naraku help him? I should kill that asshole. No wonder he hasn't shown up at school since then. He probably expects it. He better hope I don't see him any time soon. He will die."_

"Sesshomaru... Are you ready?" Kagome stepped back into the room and stared at him. He turned and nodded to her. The two walked out and began their way towards the school.

They went through their normal routine attending their classes until the lunch bell rang. Kagome snuck off with the girls for a few minutes to talk about what she should make Sesshomaru for his birthday, while Inuyasha, Miroku, and Sesshomaru walked towards the roof like usual. As they were walking, an unwanted image of Naraku hit Sesshomaru's peripheral vision. He stopped walking and glared down the hallway that Naraku was standing in. He was standing there with a smile on his face, talking with Bankotsu and Kagura as if nothing had happened. An immense and uncontrollable state of rage and hatred overwhelmed Sesshomaru's body and mind. He wanted nothing more than to tear Naraku apart.

"Sesshomaru...?" Inuyasha stopped and looked back to his brother, startled by the look on his face. He watched as Sesshomaru began stepping towards Naraku and his eyes widened. He went to stop his brother, but almost as if he was moving in slow motion and Sesshomaru some how sped up, he was unable to reach him. The next thing anyone knew was that the sound of a body slamming against metal echoed through the crowded hallways of Shugotenshi High.

"Now listen and listen good you scum bag..." Sesshomaru said as he pressed his arm up against Naraku's throat, holding the man in the air and on the lockers, "You are going to tell me why you did something so disgusting and kidnapped Kagome to bring her to that bitch Onigumo. Then you are going to explain what he is wanting me to move for him and where to. After that you are going to plead for your life and try to convince me to keep your body in one piece, do you understand?"

"Se-ssho-...maru... I ca-..." Naraku was unable to breathe with how hard Sesshomaru was holding his arm against his throat. Sesshomaru loosened it slightly and allowed him to take in some air.

"Sesshomaru, let him go!" Inuyasha told his brother, only getting a pissed off glare as a reply, "Doing this isn't going to help. Let him go!" Inuyasha glanced around, seeing that all of the students were watching in shock and in horror at Sesshomaru's actions.

"Now explain!" Sesshomaru pulled Naraku's body away from the lockers, only to slam him harder against them in order to force out an explanation. Naraku just stared at him, ignoring the fact that he was being choked and thrown around like a doll.

"He had me." Kagura suddenly spoke up and Sesshomaru turned to her, "Onigumo had me and my sister locked and tied in a back room threatening to kill us if Naraku did not do what he asked." Sesshomaru's grip loosened only slightly, allowing Naraku to stand on his own feet. He turned back towards Naraku, still keeping a strong grip on the man, but not hurting him.

"You're an idiot." He told him bluntly, "I told you years ago... when we stopped that shit with him, that if he ever tried anything like that, you come to me first. I told you that I would have your back. Whether you and I get along and hang out at school doesn't matter, because that shit from before is a promise that I never intended to break... It's too bad you broke yours."

"My promise...?" Naraku raised his hand to his throat.

"Yeah..." Sesshomaru let him go, pushing him back into the lockers again, "You remember, right? The one that you made up. The one where you asked... no matter what Onigumo or anyone else tried, we would never betray one another."

"Like I had a choice..." Naraku narrowed his eyes up to Sesshomaru.

"YOU HAD A CHOICE!" Sesshomaru yelled and slammed his fist into the locker beside Naraku's head causing a large dent. He leaned down and whispered into Naraku's ear, "One thing you should have learned about me years ago... When it comes to other men, revenge is my priority above all. I suggest you and your bitch watch your back... You never know when I'll show up." Sesshomaru turned and began walking away from a now wide-eyed Naraku.

"Y-You can't be serious. You wouldn't..." Naraku's voice was slightly shaky.

"I am the best..." Sesshomaru said with an evil smirk, as he turned and glanced to Naraku, "Aren't' I? Isn't that why he wants me in the first place? I am the one that never gets caught." With that, Sesshomaru walked towards the roof with Inuyasha and Miroku, leaving an extremely frightened Naraku and Kagura in the school hallway.

"What... have I done?" Naraku asked himself as he dropped to his knees.

The rest of the day went smoothly, although the rumors about Naraku and Kagura some how pissing Sesshomaru off were becoming rather wild. Teenagers didn't seem to have anything better to do than attempt to start drama and fights between one another. Once classes were over, Inuyasha told Sesshomaru that he needed some help with something and that they already made plans for Sango, Kikyo, and Miroku to walk Kagome home for safety reasons. Sesshomaru, after contemplating the situation, decided that it would be okay and stayed after school. The girls and Miroku excitedly made their way back towards the apartment to prepare a great meal and cake for him.

Three hours went by and they felt like they were finally ready. Sesshomaru and Inuyasha were on their way home, and after cleaning up the dishes and any other messes they had made, they waited for the two to arrive. Kagome placed a very beautiful cake on the table and Sango took a picture of it. The sound of Inuyasha's voice echoed from the doorway and they all got into their places, but looks of worry soon formed on their faces when they could tell it was not a happy conversation. Sesshomaru opened the door with an irritated look on his face, not even noticing that hard work that everyone had done. Inuyasha slammed the door behind him and began yelling more.

"THE ONLY THING I AM TRYING TO TELL YOU IS THAT YOU FUCKED UP!" Inuyasha yelled at his older brother.

"And how did I fuck up?" Sesshomaru turned towards Inuyasha with an annoyed look and sighed.

"YOU THREATENED HIM IN FRONT OF EVERYONE!" Inuyasha yelled, "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH TROUBLE YOU WILL GET IN IF THE BITCH DECIDES TO SNITCH!"

"Stop... yelling..." Sesshomaru rubbed his temples as a headache began to manifest. "I'm sick of hearing this bullshit."

"NO! JUST FUCKING LISTEN TO ME!" Inuyasha yelled. The girls just looked back and forth to one another and felt sort of awkward, like the good moods had been violently sucked out of everything. Sesshomaru turned away from Inuyasha, which only angered him more. "Oh.. My... God. YOU NEVER LISTEN TO ME!"

Inuyasha suddenly charged Sesshomaru and, using his foot, pushed his older brother rather harshly towards the small table that the cake had sat on. Kagome's eyes widened as she felt all of her work quickly becoming pointless. Sesshomaru was taken off guard and watched as his body fell forwards towards the cake, but luckily, he was able to push himself to the right. Although he knew he would fall harder towards the floor, he avoided the cake at all costs and his body slammed to the ground. For a moment everyone was silent. Sesshomaru stood up and dusted himself off. He walked over to his brother and grabbed him by the hair, dragging him over to the cake. Forcibly bending his brother over it, he made him look at it.

"Now... do you see this cake?" Sesshomaru asked.

"Yeah..." Inuyasha replied in a confused tone.

"Do you realize what you almost made me do... to this cake..." Sesshomaru pointed at it in a serious manner.

"Yeah..." Inuyasha couldn't help but smile, realizing what his brother was doing.

"Good. Your punishment is..." Sesshomaru let go of Inuyasha and picked up the cake, placing it on the kitchen counter, "I get your slice." He pulled out a knife and held his stomach as it growled rather loudly, "Yep... I definitely get your slice."

"Oh, come on.. It's huge!" Inuyasha said as he saw the size of the cake.

"More. Cake. For. Me." Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at Inuyasha, still speaking in his normal tone, which actually made it more funny for those who were watching. He cut himself a rather large slice and set it on the plate, "This is mine and Inuyasha's slice put together. He gets none, understand? This will be his punishment for almost making me smash it and ruin..." He took a bite and his eyes brightened slightly, looking over to Kagome as he chewed and swallowed, "...the most delicious cake I have ever eaten."

"You really like it?" Kagome asked with hopeful eyes and he nodded.

"Good. Because she worked forever on getting that recipe right." Sango said with a chuckle. "We couldn't figure out what that damn ingredient was... Thank god she's a natural at cooking. She sort of made it her own."

"Sesshomaru has always had a thing for sweets." Miroku chuckled a bit, "As you can tell, he gets rather excited about them, and to know that you made a special one for him only makes it better."

"Yeah... and nice recovery on the coming in arguing like assholes and almost ruining the night..." Kikyo said with arms crossed along her chest. She glared angrily at Inuyasha, who looked away like he had done nothing wrong at all.

"It's okay... I'm just glad that the cake wasn't smashed..." Kagome smiled as she snuck a bite of Sesshomaru's slice. He gave her a playful 'how dare you!' look and was rewarded with a cheesy smile.

"Yes. That would have been horrible." Miroku said as he ate his slice, "But can someone explain to me why we are eating the cake first when there is a dinner right over there?" Miroku pointed to a feast that they had all prepared on the dining room table.

"It's my birthday and I say we eat everything backwards." Sesshomaru said with humorous content.

"You just want to eat the cake..." Miroku said.

"So?" Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow as he sat down on the couch and began to eat his slice.

"Then turn your fork around..." Kagome said and confused Sesshomaru, "Well you set the rule. Eat everything backwards, so turn your fork around." Kagome demonstrated and Sesshomaru actually tried to eat by turning the fork around, mainly to play along with what she had said. "You... are a dork."

"What?" He looked up to her with an eyebrow raised, as a piece of cake fell of the handle of his fork and onto the plate. This just had everyone start laughing and Kagome just shook her head.

After dessert, the group went to the dining room table and enjoyed as much of the meal that they had prepared as they could. Having eaten dessert first, they realized that their stomachs were all full and they weren't able to eat much of dinner, so they put everything in the fridge as leftovers. Of course it was different for Inuyasha. He was not allowed to eat any of the cake, so he did not get full. He didn't think Sesshomaru was serious at first, but later realized, he was. The rest of the night was full of talking, a random comedy show on TV, and a game of 'pick on Inuyasha'.

Around ten o'clock they decided that it was time to call it a night. Everyone got up, got their things, said goodbye, and left. It was nice that Sango and Kikyo helped with the dishes while the guys were watching TV, so she wouldn't have to do it all alone. Sesshomaru was sitting on the couch with his eyes glued to a show she did not know. She couldn't help but smile at him. Although it wasn't huge, she truly felt that he enjoyed the night, especially the cake. She put the clean dishes away, humming a soft tune to herself. She heard Sesshomaru stand up and looked over to see that he once again moved over to the cake, cut him a big slice, and went to sit down.

"_He is so cute..." _Kagome thought to herself as a loving smile moved over her lips. She enjoyed watching him and loved how he went back to get thirds of her cake. It showed her that he truly did like it and wasn't just saying he did. Once the dishes were done, she walked over and stood behind the couch where he was. She leaned over and wrapped her arms around her neck. As if she was comfortable, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath while running her fingers through his hair. His eyes also closed when she began massaging his scalp. "I love you..." she whispered into his ear and then kissed his cheek, "Happy Birthday baby..."

Kagome let him go and stretched out her back, making her way to the bedroom. She was tired from cooking and the little party they had. She also knew that another party was going to be happening the next day, so it was time for her to rest. Sesshomaru watched her walk down the hallway and then turned to the TV, shutting it off. He enjoyed falling asleep with her, so he always went to be at the same time she did, unless of course it was just a nap. He walked back to the bedroom and saw her changing clothes. He stepped in and did the same, both of them sliding into bed. Kagome laid her head on his chest and he wrapped an arm around her. The two relaxed and soon fell asleep.

May 21st, The Day Of

The next morning came and Kagome's eyes slowly opened as the sun glared through the curtains and right in her eyes. She turned her head away and sat up, looking over to see that Sesshomaru was not laying next to her. She raised an eyebrow and stood up, walking out of the room to find where he was. The TV was on and he was sitting on the couch with the rest of the cake in front of him. Kagome's jaw dropped and quickly turned into a shocked smile and giggle.

"That isn't the best breakfast, you know?" She leaned over and said in his ear. He jumped slightly and looked up to her. He had a small amount of frosting on the side of his cheek, which only made Kagome smile even more. She leaned in and licked it off his cheek, "Yep... definitely not the best thing to eat for breakfast, my love."

"It's got egg... and bread. This is my logic." He said as he took another bite. Kagome sat down next to him and took the fork away. She took a bite and smiled happily up to him. "Inuyasha called and said to come to the estate around three... Apparently something is needing fixed and he doesn't know how to do it. Why they don't call a repair man, I don't know. Instead they call me. It's my birthday officially today... I would like to be left ALONE, but noooo."

"Oh... Well that's kinda messed up. Why didn't you just tell them no?" Kagome asked.

"I don't like saying no to something so minor. They need help, I'll be there." Sesshomaru explained as he took another bite of the delicious cake in his lap. A few hours passed and the two were on their way to the estate. Sesshomaru took Kagome's hand and lid her up the stairs. They were quickly met by Inuyasha, who talked all the way to a large room. He opened the door and walked into a dark room. A flick of a switch and the light turned on.

"SURPRISE!" A large group of people yelled and startled Sesshomaru and Kagome. Sesshomaru felt Kagome's hand tighten around his and pulled her in.

"Okay... You got me." Sesshomaru shook his head and took in a deep breath. Kagome smiled and shook her head feeling slightly idiotic. She knew this party was happening, so why did she get so startled? She realized the reason when she felt her nerves rattle. It was the sudden loud shout from everyone. Loud noises apparently still bugged her.

"Happy Birthday Number Two." Inuyasha said with a large smile.

"Thank you guys..." Sesshomaru looked around and waved to everyone, "It's very appreciated."

"SESSHOMARU! KAGOME!" Two young children ran up to the two of them, tackling them with all of their strength. Sesshomaru kneeled down to pull Rin into a tight hug. Kagome did the same for Shippo and then switched off.

"I am glad you guys were able to come!" Kagome said.

"Yeah... InuTaisho called the orphanage and asked if it would be okay." Rin said, pointing to Sesshomaru's father, "Since he is the one keeping the orphanage from going under, they said that it would be fine."

"Thanks Dad." Sesshomaru glanced up to his father and InuTaisho nodded back. Sesshomaru picked up both of the children and hugged them tightly. He wasn't surprised when Rin held onto him, but when Shippo was holding onto him as well, it was a pleasant surprise.

The party went on until midnight. Once that time came, people finally began to leave. Kagura and Naraku even showed up and gave a birthday present, which shocked Sesshomaru and Inuyasha, but they let it go as a way of the two apologizing for what happened to Kagome. Once the party was emptied out, Inuyasha brought his brother over to the balcony to talk to him alone. Sango, Kikyo, and Kagome all went to another room without noticing the two guys walking off. Miroku was knocked out on the couch with a plate of food next to him.

"So... What are you going to do about Onigumo?" Inuyasha asked and Sesshomaru glared at him, "Hey, look... I know it's not really my business, but you're my brother and believe it or not Kagome's cared about in this family, so I would like to know... Do we have to keep her here? I doubt Onigumo would be stupid enough to attack the family head on."

"I'm going to do the drop..." Sesshomaru said with a sigh.

"What?" Inuyasha said quietly, not wanting to alert anyone else. He stepped closer to his brother, "No, you can't do it. You know he plans to kill you after the job is done. Why would you go back?"

"I can't let him hurt Kagome like that again..." Sesshomaru shook his head, then looked up to the stars, "And I have this very strong feeling that it will be much worse for her this time. I have to do it."

"Sesshomaru... I know you love her, but..." Inuyasha shook his head.

"But... what? That is all I should have to say and all you should have to know." Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes angrily at his brother, "I love Kagome... more than anything. I will NOT lose her to Onigumo."

"So why does she have to lose YOU to Onigumo, huh?" Inuyasha said and Sesshomaru looked away, "Tell me how that is fair to her? That girl has been through hell and lost so much... Why are you going to make her lose you too?"

"Sesshomaru..." InuTaisho stepped over to them, interrupting their conversation, "I think you might want to take a look at this." He handed Sesshomaru an envelope. Sesshomaru opened it and pulled out a few papers. He read it over and raised an eyebrow, "The two people on the list... They're the couple that adopted Kagome when they found her..."

"Oh wow..." Sesshomaru stepped into the house and sat down, slouching over as he stared at the paperwork before him. "Her adopted mother and father... They are the ones that have been paying for her to go the Shugotenshi...?"

"Yes. It seems that they are the ones that paid her medical bills after everything happened as well." InuTaisho told him, "It looks to me like they still love their little girl..."

"And it says here that they now live in Tokyo... On the other side of town." Sesshomaru sighed and took in a deep breath, "Why haven't they tried to contact her?"

"I assume it is because they feel guilty." InuTaisho said and Sesshomaru shook his head, not understanding what he meant.

"They probably feel guilty for everything that she's gone through." Inuyasha told him and Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow, "Since they lost the custody battle... they feel that it's their fault that she had gone through so much pain and misery."

"How do you know about what she's gone through? Did she tell you? I know I didn't." Sesshomaru asked.

"No... It's in the report." InuTaisho said, "And it's not like I know everything. All it says is that she was found, adopted, and returned to her parents thirteen years later. Then it goes on to say how her mother committed suicide after killing their eldest daughter, while her father lost his life protecting Kagome..."

"This report is the biggest pack of shit I've ever seen." He tossed it to the side and shook his head. "I know the parents paying for Kagome's schooling is probably true, but that crap about her mom trying to kill her and actually killing her sister is a lie."

"Sesshomaru... You can't do this. Stay with Kagome. Don't make her lose the one person that she loves because of some gang leader." Inuyasha told him and Sesshomaru lowered his head. After a few seconds he nodded and took in a deep breath.

"Okay... I won't do it." Sesshomaru said and his brother and father nodded happily.

The girls were enjoying some time to just talk to one another, but quickly noticed that Kagome was sort of distracted with something. Sango poked her side, snapping her out of her thoughts. When Kagome looked towards them, they smiled and she smiled back, but soon returned to her distracted demeanor.

"Kagome... What's wrong?" Sango asked.

"Do either of you know how to shoot a gun?" Kagome asked rather straightforward.

"Whoa... wait what?" Sango blinked in shock and looked worriedly over to Izayoi and Kikyo.

"Just hear me out..." Kagome said and took a deep breath, "I've been training and doing my best to learn to fight. I've even gotten a lot of good hits on Sesshomaru lately. Ha.. One time I even knocked him on his ass." She said with a proud smile, but pushed it off, "But... He's right. He told me that no matter how much I train or how strong I get, I will never be able to stop a bullet."

"Well yeah... that's obvious." Kikyo raised an eyebrow.

"So what if I learn to shoot?" Kagome asked and they all stared at her, "That's another way of defending myself. So, do you guys know how? Or know anyone who can teach me?"

"Kagome..." Izayoi shook her head and sighed, "You don't need to learn to shoot a gun. If you think that is what it is going to take to get out of this, you need to just go to the police and tell them what happened between you and Onigumo."

"I will not ever go to the police... again..." Kagome narrowed her eyes, glaring angrily at Izayoi before she stood up and left the room, leaving the girls rather confused. Everyone followed her out after a few moments and soon the men joined them. Sango ran over to Miroku, jumped, and landed harshly in his lap to wake him up.

"AH!" He yelled and then looked down to Sango, "That hurt... and scared the shit out of me!"

"I know." Sango smiled and wrapped her arms around the back of his neck, pulling him in for a kiss. In agreement with this idea, Kikyo went over to Inuyasha and kissed him as well. Kagome thought of doing the same thing, but the awkward thought of having a make-out party was a bit much for her. She just walked over to a window and stared out. Sesshomaru soon walked over to her and stepped up behind her, wrapping his arms around and pulling her into him. Leaning her back against his chest, she bent her neck back to look up at him.

"I know you've been worried about it..." Sesshomaru whispered in her ear, "But I'd like to ease your worries by telling you that I will not be going through with Onigumo's little plan." Kagome pulled away and looked up to him in disbelief, thinking that he was only telling her that to calm her thoughts and nerves on the situation. "Kagome, I'm serious. I promise that I will stay away from Onigumo." A smile formed on her face as she heard his promise. She jumped up into his arms and wrapped her arms and legs around him, giving him multiple kisses all over his face, lips, and for the fun of it, his neck. Feeling a slight tingle where she kissed, he bent his neck in that direction to stop her. "No teasing me."

"I can if I want." Kagome said with a cheesy smile and laid her head on his shoulder.

"Kagome..." Inuyasha stepped over to them and raised an eyebrow, "Can I ask you something?" Kagome nodded and waited for his question, "What happened to you? I know it's a strange time, but I think with everything that has gone on and is currently going on... We should all have a right to know a bit about you, and that is the one thing that everyone wants to know."

"Inuyas-" Sesshomaru set Kagome down and went to scold his brother, but she stopped him.

"No..." Kagome sighed and looked up to them all, "I think it's about time that you all heard the entire story." She stepped over to the couch and sat down, pulling Sesshomaru along with her. Everyone gathered around like a show was about to begin and listened to Kagome's story.

**End Of Chapter!**

**That one was longer than most... Who cares? I enjoyed it. Hope you did too! Please Review!**


	22. Her Background

**Warning: Chapter Very Dark/Violent**

**Chapter Twenty Two: Her Background**

"As you guys can probably tell, I hate talking about this. It's just a huge amount of regret and sorrow that overwhelms me when I think about it all..." Kagome already had tears fighting their ways out of her eyes. She blinked them away and sighed, "Well this is pretty much how it went..."

**Kagome's life story...**

"Honey, do you hear that?" A young woman with short hair and brown eyes, dressed in a white summer dress clung to the man next to her, staring down an alley with a horrified look on her face.

"Yes. I do. Stay here." The man told her, tapping on her hands so she would let go. Once she did, he walked cautiously down the alley to where the two of them heard a noise. It was dark and wet. The sound of splashing water from puddles beneath his head only worsened the situation. The couple were not in a very nice part of town, but that didn't stop them from going towards this sound. He came close to a large dumpster and his eyes widened in horror. _"It couldn't be..." _he thought to himself as he opened the lid. He looked inside, and it surely was. Right there on the top of the trash was a baby wrapped in a dirty old blanket with no clothes. Saddened, he picked up the child and held it gently in his arms while walking back to his wife. "It's a baby..." he peeked under the blanket, "A baby girl..."

"Oh my..." his wife felt so bad for the child. She went over and took her into her arms. "You poor thing. How could someone be so cruel...? Sometimes I hate this world and the people in it." The baby kept crying. "Oh... Hm..." The woman thought and then smiled down to the baby in her arms, beginning to sing a wonderful song, "Goodnight my angel, now it's time to sleep... and still so many things I want to say. Remember all the songs you sang for me, when we went sailing on an emerald bay. And like a bird out on the ocean, I'm rocking you to sleep... The waters dark and deep inside this mother's heart. You'll always be a part of me." With the sweet and calming sound of the woman's voice, the baby began to calm down, her eyes slowly closing until she finally fell asleep.

"What do you think we should do?" her husband asked in a whisper as he watched his wife with the child. "I have a feeling I know what you wish..."

"Well... I've always wanted a daughter, and it seems that no one wishes to take care of this one, so why not bring this little angel home with us? We'll call up the police and the adoption agency and see what we can do." She said and her husband nodded.

"You have a kind heart Kaname..." The man kissed his wife, Kaname, on the forehead and began walking down the street until they came to a black car. They slid into the back seat and told the driver to take them home.

**A Month Later**

"Renji!" Kaname came running into the house, bursting through the door. She dropped to her knees, right next to her husband and the baby they decided to name Kagome. "She's ours... Kagome's finally our baby girl. No one claimed her and they said that we could get started on the paper work as soon as possible, so we are finally going to make her our little girl." Kaname said within a single breath, so excited that she could have passed out.

"Kaname... Calm down. Please." Renji heard the news and felt his stomach knot up. He was going to be a father, officially a father. This made him slightly nervous, but taking one look at the little girl laying on the floor before him, kicking her legs in her pink onesie made him completely change his mind about it. Was he ready for this? He didn't know, but there was no way on earth he was letting his little angel out of his sight. "We're gonna be parents." He said with a smile and looked to Kaname. She nodded excitedly as tears formed in her eyes. He pulled her tightly into his arms and hugged her as tightly as he could. "I love you..."

"I love you too." The two shared a passionate kiss until a slight giggle came from their little girl. They smiled down to her and then looked to one another, laughing a bit.

**Eight Years Later...**

"Momma..." A sweet little girl ran into the hospital room, wearing a red kimono decorated with blue roses and green vines. She climbed up onto the bed with her mother, giving her a worried look, "Mom, are you okay? Did the baby hurt you?"

"Only when he comes out, sweet heart. I'll be okay. I am just tired." Kaname said to the eight year old Kagome sitting before her. The years had passed all too fast, but finally they were able to bring another life into the world and into their family. Renji walked into the room with a bundle in his arms, the baby boy wrapped in a blue blanket.

"He's beautiful..." Renji said as he lowered himself, handing the baby to Kaname. Helping her hold the child, he gave her a kiss on her forehead. Kagome moved closer and looked at him, but then her face saddned.

"What's wrong sweet heart?" Kaname asked.

"He's still my little brother even though I'm adopted, right?" Kagome asked.

"Well of course he is." Kaname said and Kagome cheered up, a huge smile moving onto her face. Renji and Kaname agreed when she turned five that they were going to explain the adoption and how they found her. They didn't want to lie to her at all, and Kagome knew this. She could tell that they loved her no matter what, and she loved them too.

"I'm happy I have a baby brother now... That's really nice." Kagome said while yawning. She had stayed up all night, ever since she heard that her mother was in labor. While sitting up, her eyes slowly closed until she was falling forward. Renji allowed Kaname to take hold of their baby boy and caught Kagome, picking her up and holding her.

"His name?" Renji asked.

"Sota... Isn't that what we wanted?" Kaname asked and Renji nodded, kissing her lips.

**Five Years Later: Kagome age Thirteen**

"What do you mean!" Kagome yelled at the top of her lungs.

"Kagome, I'm sorry. They are here to take you to your real family." Renji said, trying to explain the reason the police had shown up at their door. Kaname stood off in a corner, crying her eyes out and holding tightly onto a confused Sota.

"NO! I DON'T WANNA GO!" Kagome yelled, but a police officer grabbed her wrist and pulled her along. "DADDY PLEASE! DON'T LET THEM TAKE ME AWAY!" She reached out for him. Renji almost ran for her, but knowing that he couldn't do anything, he turned away, fighting the tears that he too felt begin to run down his cheeks. "MOMMY! DADDY! SOTA! PLEASE! I LOVE YOU!" Kagome began to cry, struggling against the hold of the strange man called a police officer. "YOU PROMISED THAT I CAN BE WITH YOU FOREVER!" The police officer picked her up and forced her into the car, closing the door and locking it. Kagome sat up and banged on the window, tears flowing down her cheeks at a rapid rate as the car began to move. "MOMMY! DADDY!" She yelled until she felt herself become lightheaded. Suddenly everything became dark, like she was going down a long tunnel. Her eyes closed and her body fell back. She passed out.

**An Hour Later...**

Kagome woke up in the back of the police car. She sat up and looked around to see that she wasn't in Okinawa anymore. Tokyo. She had been a few times, but she didn't really like it. The people were mean, the air was unclean, and everything seemed to crowded and pushed together. She lowered her head and looked around. She wasn't allowed to take anything from her home. Apparently the people she was moving in with didn't want her to have any memories of her old life and wanted to start anew, but she was able to sneak out one thing, her mothers gold necklace.

"_If it's my real Mommy and Daddy... The ones who gave birth to me..." _She thought to herself, trying desperately to look on the bright side, _"Maybe they want to say sorry. It might not be too bad. I can have fun, and they said I have a big sister too. It will be nice... I hope." _The car stopped and the officer came around to let her out. She stepped out of the car and looked up to a large house. It wasn't too bad, although the yard was poorly taken care of and the paint was horrible. _"Must not be good at yard work." _She thought, still trying to convince herself that everything will be okay.

"So... You're Sara?" An older girl walked over to her, crossing her arms along her chest. She was seventeen years old, black thin hair pulled back into a ponytail, wearing shorts and black shirt. "You should have stayed back with your adopted family..." The girl sighed and walked into the house, the officer leading Kagome, who was now scared, up to the house. The older girl opened the door and stepped to the side, allowing them in. Kagome looked around and smiled. It was nice. Everything was clean, organized, and modern. She walked over to the couch and sat down, thinking that it was okay. "Get up." the older girl grabbed her arm and pulled her off the couch and behind her. It almost seemed as if she was trying to protect her, but Kagome couldn't tell.

"Where is she?" a much older woman ran down the stairs. She had long black hair, brown eyes, and was wearing black slacks and a white tank-top. She hurried over to Kagome. Kagome felt the girl who grabbed her tighten her hand around her wrist and then let her go. She looked up to the seventeen year old girl confused and then to the older woman, who seemed in her late thirties. "Sara... You're beautiful." the woman said, fiddling with Kagome's hair.

"Sara?" Kagome blinked in confusion.

"It's your name hun... The one you were born with." the woman said, "I'm Lyra... Your birth mother, this is Saya, your older sister, and your father will be home later tonight. He's on duty right now. He is a police officer."

"Oh... Okay." Kagome smiled weakly and watched as her Biological Mother nodded to the officer that brought her there. He nodded back and left. The moment the door closed, Lyra stood up and walked off as if Kagome was no longer in existence. Kagome walked after her, "Mom?"

"Please don't call me that..." Lyra said sadly at her. "I'm going to bed..." was all Lyra said before she walked back up the stairs.

"Damn it..." Saya said and then looked back to Kagome. "Come on." Saya lead Kagome up the stairs and to a room, "This is your room. I did my best. I am not sure what you like, but I did what I could to make it as comfortable as possible."

"Thank you... It's nice." Kagome smiled up to her and then frowned, "How come she doesn't like me?"

"Listen Sara..." Saya pushed her into the room and closed the door so they could talk in private, "I really wish that you had not come here. I don't even know how your adopted parents lost the case."

"What case?" Kagome asked.

"The custody case. For the last few years they have been battling over who gets you." Saya told her, "Didn't you know that?" Kagome shook her head no. "Well look... This is not a happy home. I hate this place and once I finally turn eighteen, I'm out of here. Just do as you're told and you won't get hurt. That is really all the advice I can give yo-" A loud bang echoed through the house, shaking it slightly.

"WHERE IS SHE!" a man yelled.

"Dad's home..." Saya said with a worried tone and sighed. She grabbed onto Kagome and took out to the hallway. "She's here..." She pushed Kagome forward slightly. The man smirked and walked over to Kagome, kneeling down in front of her.

"Not bad..." the man smirked and grabbed onto her shoulders. He forcibly turned her around to have her back to him. He looked her up and down, smiling evilly, "Not bad at all." Forcing Kagome to turn around again to face him, he lifted her shirt and grabbed onto her breasts, "Eh... Too small. Good for your age I guess... I give it a year." Kagome's eyes widened and she froze, not knowing what to do for a moment. After she snapped back into her thoughts, she forced her shirt back down and backed away from him, her arms over her chest to cover them.

"What the heck are you doing!" Kagome yelled at him, "Don't ever touch me like that again!"

SMACK!

"Watch who you are talking to bitch." The man said, as Kagome's body slammed into the railing of the stairs that they were next to. Her eyes were wide in shock, a single hand coming up to rub the side of her face, right where he smacked. He just rolled his eyes at her and looked to Saya, "Where's your slut mother at?"

"She's in bed." Saya said.

"Eh... Get the little bitch to sleep and you head to bed to." he said as he walked passed the shocked Kagome and a emotionless Saya, "You have shit you need to do in the morning."

Saya nodded and grabbed onto Kagome. She pulled her to her feet and walked her to her room, telling her to just forget about it and go to bed. Kagome suddenly felt hopeless, helpless, and in danger. She did as she was told and slid into bed. A few minutes passed and Kagome realized she wasn't going to be able to sleep. Banging and pounding came from the other room, along with yells and screams from the woman she now knew to be her mother. They were arguing about something. She heard a loud crash and then covered her ears, holding her head under the pillow.

**Eight Months Later... Saya: Age Eighteen, Kagome: Age Fourteen**

"No!" Saya yelled at her father, pushing his drunk body away from Kagome, "You keep your hands off of her!" Smack! Saya stumbled back slightly as her father smacked her. "You. Will. Not. Touch. Her."

"Get the fuck out of my way. Why do you think I had them bring the bitch back?" he said with an evil laugh, "I'm tired of your mother, I want something new." He charged at Kagome, only to have Saya use her body to block him. "What are you doing! You want me to fuck you instead?"

"Fine!" Saya said in tears, "Just leave her alone!"

"What the fuck?" Their father raised an eyebrow, "Ahahahahahahaha! Are you serious! You're willing to give me your shit because you want to protect your little sister? Ahaha! Are you stupid? I brought this bitch back because I didn't want to fuck my daughter!"

"She's your daughter too..." Saya said, stepping between them again, "She's just a kid.. Have me and wait until she is at least sixteen, please. It's only two more years. You've waited this long, so why not?"

"Hehe... Hm..." He said with a hiccup. Feeling his vision blurring, he shook his head to focus a bit. "Fine..." was all he said as he grabbed onto Saya. He didn't even leave Kagome's room. He pushed Saya over the desk and pulled down her pants and underwear.

"Kagome..." Saya said with tears in her eyes, making sure to use the name Kagome liked, "Close your eyes... Cover your ears. Please." Kagome's eyes widened and she turned away. She did as she was told and closed her eyes tightly shut, pressing her hands over her ears. Every now and then a whimper or cry would seep it's way through her fingers and into her ears, but she refused to look or open her ears. After about ten minutes passed and Kagome felt the floor shake a bit. Slowly opening her eyes, she barely saw her father zip up his pants and then walk out. She looked down to Saya in horror. She was half naked, her lower half being shown, and blood seeping out of her lower area.

"Saya..." Kagome hopped off the bed and went to her. "I'm so sorry..." Kagome looked around and saw a cell phone. She picked it up and called 911. She explained the situation to the woman on the phone and then looked back down to Saya who was knocked out. After a few minutes, the police showed up and banged down the door. She ran down to convince them to go up stairs, but for some reason they refused. Her father came down stairs and talked to them for a few minutes, laughing and talking about something that had nothing to do with what was going on. Once they stopped talking, he turned towards her and picked up a knife.

"Looks like someone needs to learn to keep their mouth shut." He grabbed her by her neck and picked her up, placing the knife at her throat, "I don't every want to hear you speak a word, ever. Got it? If you do, I'll cut out your tongue and then your throat. Understand?" He said and Kagome nodded. "Well let's make sure." He reached around and brought the knife from her upper shoulder all the way around until it hit near her belly button. She didn't make a single sound. She winced, but no sound was made. Tears dropped down her cheeks as blood seeped over the wall, floor, and knife. He tossed her petite body across the room and to the floor, "NOW CLEAN IT UP!" He demanded and she did her best to nod.

**BACK TO CURRENT TIME!**

"Whoa, whoa..." Inuyasha stopped the story and took in a deep breath as if it was almost too much for him to handle. "He took a knife and.. No... I ca- I refuse to belie.. What the fuck!" Inuyasha shook his head and looked away, taking in an angry breath.

"Look..." Kagome stood up and took off her shirt, not really caring about who would see her. She covered the front of her body a bit and turned around, showing them the large scar on her back.

"Wow..." was all Miroku could get up the courage to say. Sango glanced at it and then looked away, covering her mouth as she felt tears come up in her eyes.

"I told you that this reminded me of a night..." Kagome said to Sesshomaru with a sigh and he nodded to her, "Well it doesn't remind me of the night that everything else happened, but instead the night it all started... The night that I watched my sister give away the rest of her life to protect me... Every time he tried to do anything to me... Saya would..."

**A Week Before THAT Night...**

BANG!

Kagome stepped into the room with her mother. At first she just wanted to talk, but the guilt and regret that her mother felt had completely taken her over. A piece of paper was on the ground. Kagome picked it up and read it.

"_I'm So Sorry I Failed You Girls..."_

She looked up to her mother, who had not noticed her arrival.

Her eyes widened as she heard the click.

Her mouth widened as her mother put a gun into her mouth.

She went to yell.

But it didn't work. She hadn't used her voice in so longer that she didn't remember how.

She just watched. She stood there and she watched.

She flinched as it sounded, blood splattering everywhere, even on her face and nightgown.

With an emotionless face, she watched her mother's lifeless body fell forward.

It hit the ground.

She was dead...

The sound of footsteps running down the hallway echoed in her ears, as if everything was going in slow motion. Saya ran in, yelling and crying for her mother. Kagome still could not move. Their Father ran in, also crying. Their father pulled Lyra, her mother, into his arms and held her, yelling out.

Kagome didn't understand.

"_Why is he crying? He doesn't even care about her, or us. All he does is drink, beat her, and rape Saya... Why is he acting like he cares? I hate him..." _Kagome thought to herself as she stood there like an emotionless statue.

**The Night Of True Terror...**

Kagome and Saya were both in bed after the funeral. The last four months had been hell for the older sister, taking on rape after rape to make sure her younger sister would not have to deal with it, and now this. Her birth mother was dead. Her sister was being tortured, and she felt even more helpless than she had before. For the first time in a long time, tears dropped down the side of her face, but she couldn't feel anything. Why did they drop? It was like her body knew she needed to cry, but she felt absolutely nothing.

"SARA!" A loud voice echoed through the hallways.

"_Dad's back..." _Kagome thought to herself as she stood up and walked out of the room to see what her father wanted. The moment he saw her, he came charging up the stairs, which startled her. Her eyes widened and she took a step back. Fear. She felt that. She turned and began to run to her room, but her father caught up to quickly. He grabbed her and threw her into a wall. The walls shook. He grabbed her again and dragged her into his room, tossing her onto the bed. "NO!" She screamed as he began pulling off her pajama pants. She turned over on her stomach to try and crawl away, but he pulled her back. He picked a small pocket knife and pressed himself against her to hold her still. He cut off her panties and tossed them off to the side. He flipped her back onto her back and pulled down his pants.

"You're mine." He said as he dropped his underwear. She started kicking hysterically, fighting him the best she could, but he leaned over her, pressing his manhood onto her stomach. She refused to look. It scared her. She didn't want it. He pressed his arm on her chest to hold her still and brought the other one down to grasp his dick. He placed it at her entrance and she froze. She could feel it. It was right there.

"_No, no, no, no, no!" _She kept repeating to herself. Suddenly someone screamed. They both looked over to see Saya tackle him to the floor. Saya was on his back, her arms around his neck trying to choke him.

"RUN!" Saya screamed to Kagome, snapping her out of her terrified state. Kagome stood up and ran out of the room, not taking a second look back. She ran down the stairs and looked around. She saw a butcher knife on the kitchen counter and went over to grab it. At that moment the sound of glass smashing hit her ears. She slowly turned her head to see that Saya's body was thrown from the upstairs down onto the glass coffee table by the couch.

"_Saya..." _She walked over to her sisters body and dropped down to her knees. Her sister was dead, eyes still open and multiple shards of glass sticking out through her body. Yet she still did not cry.

"Your fault she's dead!" He yelled. She heard her father coming towards her and looked to see him toss a big vase at her. She didn't have enough time to dodge or block, so it smashed into her head. Her vision blurred and she dropped the knife. She looked around, only to see the blurry figure of her father coming towards her. He picked her up and set her down on the couch. She didn't seem to care. Her head was hurting. She reached up to feel it and there was a large gash, dripping blood.

"Finally.. It's just you and me..." He said and laughed insanely. Kagome looked around for the knife and saw it a few feet away. She slowly began to struggle against him, until she felt her strength come back and then began to kick wildly. He tried to control her by holding her arms down, but she luckily got a single kick to his balls. He tumbled back, and she took her chance to get up and run. First she grabbed the knife, but then continued in to the kitchen, trying to make it to the back door. He caught up and grabbed her from behind, wrapping his arms around her and throwing her back into the living room. She landed on some glass, being a cut in a few places. Being dragged along her stomach, she tried grabbing onto something, but couldn't get a hold of anything.

Finally he stopped dragging her. He flipped her over onto her back and went to put himself inside again. The sound of sirens could be heard outside, along with flashing lights, but this didn't seem to bother him. Kagome realizing she still had the knife, brought it up and pierced his chest. He froze before he could enter her. Blood fell from the wound and onto her. She saw the blood dripping out of his mouth and he purposely spit on her. He began to move again, causing her to panic. She kicked him off and onto his back. Sitting over his body, she stabbed him again, and again, and again. Suddenly a bang came to the door. The police ran inside and stopped her. She began to freak out. She threw her head back and screamed at the top of her lungs, kicking wildly until everything went black.

**CURRENT TIME!**

"After that... I remember waking up in the hospital." Kagome explained and sighed, "They told me that everyone in my family was dead. For a brief moment, I thought it might have been a dream, like I had never gone to that horrible place, but that wasn't the case. I did go there. I did watch my mother and sister die, and then I killed my father." She and everyone else stayed silent for a moment, but she spoke up again, "The police report decided to switch things up... and the media came up with something worse. The police said that my mother killed Saya and tried to kill me, but failed because my father tried to protect me and lost his life doing so... In all honesty, I prefer the media shit over that. They painted him out to be some hero because he was a cop."

"That's why you said that you would never go to a cop again..." Izayoi said as she realized. Kagome nodded to her and slid her hand into Sesshomaru's.

"You guys are the first to ever know the truth." Kagome told them, "I've never talked to anyone about this before. I've never trust anyone since then either... Until all of you." Kagome said, tightening her hand around Sesshomaru. She felt him tighten his too and felt a bit more relaxed.

"Thank you, Kagome..." InuTaisho said with a sincere smile, "For trusting us enough to tell us. With the bad things you've been through, it actually makes me feel honored to know you were so willing to explain your situation to us." Kagome just smiled.

"What about your adopted parents though?" Sango stepped up and asked, "Have you contacted them? You're of age now, I'm sure you can figure out a way to get to them."

"No..." Kagome shook her head, "I went to their old house when I first got out of the hospital. I hunted them down for a while, but no one could tell me anything. No forwarding address, no numbers... I don't even know where my little brother is going to school."

"That sucks..." Kikyo blinked a tear away and then leaned forward, slouching a bit. "I'm just glad you got out of there okay. I don't know what any of us would do if you hadn't come along to melt Sesshomaru's icy heart. We'd probably be dead." Kikyo did her best to lighten the mood, knowing that everyone was rather upset. Inuyasha didn't seem to have anything else to say, although they noticed that he and Sesshomaru were glancing back and forth at each other every now and then, almost like they were planning something.

"Well... Please don't dwell on this." Kagome stood up and asked them all, "I know it's a bad story and a hell of a lot to sink in, but I don't want you guys to think about it all the time. I don't want you to look at me any differently. I just want to move on with my life and be a normal school girl."

"I think we can manage that." Sango said and Kikyo nodded in agreement.

"Good... Now if you don't mind. I really feel like I could use a shower." Kagome said smiling and then looking to Sesshomaru, "All of my clothes are home. Can we go?"

"Yes." Sesshomaru nodded and stood up. Waving bye to everyone, the two locked hands and walked out to the car. Once the driver was ready, they were taken home.

"How could something so bad... happen to someone so sweet?" Izayoi asked and everyone shook their heads, not knowing how Kagome could have ever deserved to be treated so horribly.

**End Of Chapter!**

**I know this is considered a 'filler', but I believe it's an exciting filler. And don't worry, later on we will have one of Sesshomaru's Background as well. :) Just something to look forward to. (If you even liked this one. Lol!)**

**Review's Appreciated!**


	23. Getting Out Of It

Chapter Twenty Three: Getting Out Of It

Sesshomaru had woken up completely dreading the next few days. Although he did not plan to do the drop for Kagome's sake, something was telling him he should. It was Friday, the day before he was supposed to do the delivery and was on his way to school with Kagome. He was much more silent than he usually was, but Kagome understood why. She just kept holding his hand and keeping him close to show that she was happy and that she felt safe with him. He would do his best to protect her, but there are some things that should be avoided. Refusing to do a job for one of the top drug trafficking criminals in the entire city was not the smartest way of going about things. Right now he just wished that he could go back and time and tell his past self to never join Onigumo's gang in the first place. If he was able to do that, he wouldn't have to deal with this right now.

The two made it into school and went to class. Sesshomaru felt like time was taking longer than usual, which was obviously not true. He was stressing himself out. It wasn't even the day of, and he was already freaking out about it. Kagome began to get worried as she watched Sesshomaru's behavior, but didn't know what she could do to help him. The lunch bell rang, startling Sesshomaru and causing him to jump slightly. He took in a deep breath and tried to relax, but it wasn't working to well. Kagome walked over and the two made their ways to the lunch area. They planned to get some food and then head back to the roof where they usually were, but something stopped them.

"Are you Sesshomaru Takahashi?" A man in a cop uniform walked up to him.

"Yeah...?" He said with an eyebrow raised.

"You're under arrest for assaulting and threatening a student and his girlfriend." the man said and pulled out handcuffs. "Put your hands behind your back." Sesshomaru quietly did what he was told. Once his hands were cuffed, he looked to Kagome who was just staring at him in shock. She went to say something, but he shook his head so she did not.

"What's going on?" Inuyasha walked up to them.

"He's under arrest!" Kagome just shook her head in disbelief, "This has to be some sort of mistake. The cop said he assaulted and threatened someone."

"He did." Inuyasha said and Kagome's head snapped over to look at him. Inuyasha looked down to her and sighed, "He slammed Naraku's body against the lockers a few times and then threatened to do get revenge by doing something to him and Kagura..."

"What?" Kagome looked around until she saw Naraku. She narrowed her eyes and stomped her way over to him until she was up his face, but refused to touch him, "What the fuck is your problem?"

"Now here me out." Naraku said to try and calm her down.

"Hear you out?" Kagome spoke in a low tone, but the anger was definitely shining through, "Why don't I tell them about your little incident with Onigumo. You know... the one where you grabbed me on the street and drug me to a warehouse and left me there to be beaten?"

"I did that to protect Kagura." Naraku narrowed his eyes at her.

"And he wasn't angry with you for what you did to me?" Kagome said to him, trying her best to not yell and keep the conversation between the two of them, "I know.. why don't we make a deal. I'll put you in jail for kidnapping me, and then take Kagura to some gang leader to have him beat her. Sound fair to you? Does to me. Especially since I hadn't done a damn thing to you to deserve that shit, nor has Sesshomaru done anything to deserve to be arrested."

"Just listen for a fucking second." Naraku said and then pulled her off a bit, "I'm having him arrested so he has an excuse for missing the delivery date for Onigumo. If he's in jail, there is no way that Onigumo would be able to have him do the drop, right? I'll have the charges dropped on Monday, so he will be able to go home."

"... Oh..." Kagome thought for a moment and then looked back to see that Sesshomaru was being placed in a police car. She lowered her head and turned away, trying not to cry, "Damn it... Why can't Onigumo just get someone else!"

"Sesshomaru was his number one delivery guy for like... two years or something." Naraku explained and shrugged, "He's not gonna give him up that easily."

Kagome stayed silent. The car began to drive off. She watched Sesshomaru and he watched her with saddened eyes. She sighed and then lowered her head, telling Naraku that she agreed, but on one condition. He would have to go to the place where they're taking him and explain it all so he understands as well. Naraku agreed and everyone dispersed, returning to their classes as the bell rang. Kagome sat the rest of the day on the edge of a nervous break down. She understood what Naraku was trying to do, but the way he did it was too much. He completely ruined Sesshomaru's reputation in front of everyone in the school and ruined his criminal record, although Kagome didn't think that Sesshomaru would mind once he realized what was actually going on.

The final bell rang and finally the strenuous school day had come to an end. Kagome didn't know what to do. With Sesshomaru gone, she felt alone and slightly helpless. She did her best to keep her composure, feeling the fear and cautiousness she had once felt before seeping it's way back into her heart and mind. She took in a deep breath, stopping at the front gate of the school where she usually met the man she loved. She looked around, knowing that today he was not going to come to her. The feeling of despair began to sweep over her, but luckily she was snapped from her negative thoughts by Sango. She felt Sango's hand set down on her shoulder. She looked up and gave a weak smile.

"I know it looks bad, but everything is going to be okay." Sango said with a reassuring smile, "We'll do what we can to help you. You can stay with Miroku and I tonight, so you don't have to be home alone."

"Yeah..." Miroku stepped up with a smile as well, "Inuyasha explained the situation, and we don't think the charges will stick for too long, especially since Naraku is the one who hurt you first."

"I know. I talked to Naraku." Kagome said. At that moment, Inuyasha and Kikyo walked over to them as well, "He had Naraku arrested to help him have a reason to avoid doing the delivery for Onigumo."

"What?" Kikyo's eyes widened in slight shock.

"I understand his motives now..." Kagome lowered her head with a saddened look, "But I still wish it didn't have to happen. He is protecting Sesshomaru the same way I want to, but wasn't there a different way? Couldn't we have thought of something better?"

"It's not like Naraku took the time to sit back and talk to all of us about this." Inuyasha said with an irritated tone, "He didn't even warn us. I don't really like the idea of having my brother put in jail, but I guess it's the one way that we could keep Sesshomaru from having to do the drop."

"He said that Sesshomaru will sit in jail until Monday..." Kagome said slightly upset, "He'll drop the charges then and he can come home. I'm going to go see if I can talk to Sesshomaru while he is in jail."

"Are you ready?" Naraku and Kagura came over. Everyone except the weak spirited Kagome shot pissed off glares towards the two. Naraku did the best he could to ignore him and kept his attention on Kagome who just nodded, "All right... Let's go then." Kagome nodded again and followed Naraku silently to his car with Kagura. They all got in and drove off towards the jail.

"Do you think we should follow them?" Kikyo asked, "I can't say I trust Naraku with her."

"No." Inuyasha said and began walking home, "She'll be fine. Naraku isn't stupid. We know who she is with and where they are going. If he did anything to her again, we'd kill him." When Inuyasha talked about killing Naraku, he seemed slightly dark and almost too serious for anyone's liking.

They arrived at the jail soon. Kagura decided to stay in the car and wait for them to return. As they entered and asked to speak to Sesshomaru, they were checked out by multiple people, being told to give ID's. When Kagome explained that she didn't have one, they almost didn't let her in to speak to Sesshomaru. Naraku fought for her and soon they gave in, allowing her in to see Sesshomaru. Walking down a few halls, leaving all of their belongings with the police, Naraku noticed Kagome's change in demeanor. She seemed tense, angry, on her guard.

"_Obviously... she doesn't trust me." _Naraku sighed, thinking that must be the case, but of course he was wrong. She didn't trust the police and more than likely never would. Kagome kept keen eyes on the police officer that was leading them to Sesshomaru.

"Hey Takahashi..." the cop said stopping at a cell, "You've got visitors."

"Hm?" Sesshomaru was laying down on the bed. He glanced to the right and shot up from the bed with wide eyes. "Kagome..." He walked over to the cell door and grabbed onto the bars. Kagome hurried up to the gate and pushed herself up onto her tip toes to kiss him. After the kiss broke Sesshomaru noticed another standing there, "Why are you here?" Kagome looked back to Naraku.

"He's here to explain himself." Kagome said, reaching out for Sesshomaru's shirt. She clenched his hand around it, holding onto him tightly. "It's going to be okay..."

"Sesshomaru." Naraku stepped up to the cell door and whispered quietly, "Look... The only reason I had you arrested is to give you a reason to avoid Onigumo's bullshit. I'll drop the charges on Monday and you'll get out of here."

"I knew why you did it." Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes, " I know you better than you think. I just wish you had given me some sort of heads up, so then I wouldn't have to see that look in her eyes..." He looked down to Kagome and she looked up to him, forcing a smile. It was obvious to him that she was still worried about him. He gave her a kiss on the forehead, "I'll be fine. Just calm down. I don't want you staying at home on your own. See if you can spend the night with Mom and Dad..."

"Sango and Miroku already offered." Kagome said with a smile, "I think it would be cool to stay with them a couple of nights. I've never seen their place before." She tilted her head in confusion when she saw a sickly look on Sesshomaru's face, "What?"

"Just... lock the door and remember your training..." Sesshomaru sighed and Kagome laughed.

"I'm sure Miroku isn't going to try anything." Kagome shook her head with a smile, "I think Miroku is scared to death of you."

"He should be..." Naraku looked away and slid his hands into his pockets.

"You guys done? Your times up." The same police officer walked up to them. Kagome sighed and gave Sesshomaru a final kiss before they all said their goodbyes. As they walked off, Sesshomaru did his best to peek around the bars and watch her leave. Kagome glanced back a single time before they left and then let a single tear drop from her eyes.

"Should I take you to Sango and Miroku's place?" Naraku asked as they slid into the car with Kagura.

"I don't even know if they'd be home right now. I don't have their numbers either." Kagome said in a slight emotionless tone.

"I do." Kagura pulled out her cell phone and gave Sango a call. Once she picked up, Kagura spoke as kindly as she could, "Hey... Are you guys home? We want to know where we should bring Kagome... Oh, okay... We'll bring her then." Kagura hung up and then looked to Kagome, "They're at the estate with Inuyasha and Kikyo. They'll take you to their place from there."

Kagome nodded and the car began moving after the driver got his orders. Kagome turned towards the window and stared out of it. After a few minutes, they pulled up to the estate. Kagome got out and walked solemnly up to the door. Sango and Kikyo were already there, opening the door with weak smiles. She didn't even look up to them. She just walked to the living room and sat down on the couch, looking rather tired.

"Kagome..." Sango went and sat by her, giving her a small hug, "I know this isn't the best of situations, but please don't let it overwhelm you. Things will get better and Sesshomaru will only be gone for a couple of days. At least now he'll be safe from Onigumo. That's what you wanted isn't it?"

"Yeah, you're right." Kagome took in a deep breath and relaxed. She looked up to Sango with a smile and then looked around to everyone, "So what should we do? I can't say I'm used to having Sesshomaru be away from me."

"Well... we were actually just discussing that." Sango said with a smile, "We were thinking a calm night at that house, some girl talk with me, Kikyo and you... Miroku will stay here with Inuyasha. The three of us can watch a movie, have some snacks, and rest."

"I.. actually can't go." Kikyo spoke up and shook her head, "I have an appointment with my doctor tomorrow, so I can't go." Kikyo gave an embarrassed look, leaving those around to wonder what this doctors appointment was about.

"Oh..." Sango said and then sighed, giving Kagome a reassuring smile, "It'll just be the two of us. Would you be okay with that?" Kagome smiled, feeling a bit better and then nodded. "Okay then. Well let's head out." Sango stood up and began walking to the front door. After giving a hug to Miroku, the two girls walked out and got into Sesshomaru's car, his driver taking them to her house. Sango got out of the car and looked up to a small white house, "Well this is where we live."

"Do you parents live with you?" Kagome asked as Sango lead her into the house.

"No... They died in a car accident a few years back." Sango said with a saddened look, "My little brother is here though. He blames himself for what happened. He was the one at the drivers seat... Trying to learn. He was only thirteen at the time, and he wasn't used to it. Instead of hitting the break, he hit the gas and sped into oncoming traffic... It would have been better, maybe they would have survived, but the passenger side was slammed into by an eighteen wheeler... Mom and Dad died at the scene and Kohaku's memory was messed up. Only recently has he began to remember who he is and what happened..."

"Wow..." Kagome lowered her head, slightly upset, "I'm... so sorry."

"It's okay... Just try not to bring it up to him." Sango asked politely, "I don't think he can handle any of that right now." Sango dropped her stuff at the front door and kicked off her shoes. "You can leave your stuff here too and just put your shoes there." Sango pointed to the same spot and Kagome did as she was instructed to. Sango went to the kitchen, and Kagome looked around. The place was nice. The kitchen was updated, the living room was well decorated, and from what she could tell, Sango was going to make one hell of a wife.

"You've got a nice place." Kagome said as she sat down at the dining room table, "How do you guys pay for this place?"

"Well... Daisuke's Divine Dining, the place you used to work pays for a lot of it." Sango smirked a bit at the memory of kick Daisuke out of his own restaurant. "I think it's going to be moved. Since Daisuke left, the business is doing much better. There is a place closer to hear that Miroku is going to buy out and change the name to something a bit more... divine?"

"Haha. I see." Kagome laughed, a big smile coming on her face, "So, what do you want to do first? Last time I had a sleep over, me and my friends were obsessed with boy bands and kids shows."

"Wow. Been a while since you've just had girl time, huh?" Sango asked and Kagome nodded with a smile. "Well what wou-..."

"Sister..." Kohaku stepped shyly into the room, glancing over to Kagome, "Who is that?"

"Oh... Hey Kohaku." Sango said in a soft voice as she walked over to her brother, "How are you feeling? And this is Kagome. She goes to my school."

"Oh... Hi Kagome." Kohaku said calmly, waving to Kagome, "And I'm feeling okay. My head is hurting a bit. I was just on the computer with some of the guys. That game is getting pretty good. Tell Miroku thanks for getting it for me." Kohaku gave Sango a hug and then walked out of the room.

"Sweet kid..." Kagome said with a soft smile as she watched Kohaku enter his bedroom.

"Yeah... Miroku has been sort of taking care of us since it happened." Sango explained. The two walked over to the couch and sat down. They talked for a good two hours, telling each other practically everything before an ounce of boredom was felt by either of them. Sango realized it was late and that they were both getting hungry. She called for pizza and soon it arrived, the two rejoining each other on the couch and turning on the TV. Kagome quickly realized that Sango was an easy person to talk to. The two shared laughs and even a few tears when talking about their pasts. It seemed evident that the both of them were saved by the men they love.

"Are you going to marry him?" Kagome asked Sango, sort of shocking her into a blush.

"I.. don't know if he wants to marry me..." She looked towards the floor with sorrowed eyes, "He's a great guy, but he has this problem with flirting with other girls. I don't think he realizes how much it hurts me, or how much I actually do care about him. Kohaku was even saying that the two of us would be married some day, but the more I think about it... I just keep seeing him flirt with all these other women. That really isn't the type of guy a girl wants to give her life away to..."

"You should sit him down and talk to him about it." Kagome told her with a small smile, "I'm sure if you explained to him how you felt, and really made it apparent that you truly did want to be his one and only girl, he'd realize and stop flirting with other women."

"Do you really think so?" Sango said, her eyes lighting up with hope.

"Uh'huh! I'm sure of it." Kagome nodded happily, "You know... I know I'm not around the two of you as much as I am around the rest, but I've never really seen Miroku flirt with anybody..."

"Really? Probably because of Sesshomaru..." Sango said giggling, "I noticed he doesn't play around when Sesshomaru is around. It's probably because of what you said before, about him hating the idea of hurting a woman whether it's emotionally or physically. And since Miroku has this bad habit of playing around with girls, he some times ends up hurting their feelings or even leading them on."

"Oh... Yeah, that would keep him from flirting in front of Sesshomaru." Kagome giggled a bit. The two continued to talk, using the rest of the night to watch TV, listen to some music, and get to know each other a bit more. After a while, some time between midnight and one in the morning, the two ended up falling asleep on the couch.

"Sister?" Kohaku came in and covered them up when he realized that they were sleeping. He turned off the TV and began walking to his room, glancing back to them with a weak smile, "Goodnight Sister." With that he turned out the lights and walked to his room to sleep as well.

**End Of Chapter!**

**Reviews Appreciated!**


End file.
